ION BR! 

^AWS AND PRlNCIPl 



RNEST BERGHOi 



Book .B5 



ROYAL AUCTION 
BRIDGE 

THE LAWS AND PRINCIPLES: 
UNDER THE 
ENGLISH CODE OF 1914 

B7 

ERNEST BERGHOLT 

Author of 

"The Principles and Practice of Whist" (Philadelphia, 1902), 
"The Principles and Practice of Bridge," The Bridge 
Proble XL Book Double Dummy Bridge " ), " Royal 
Spades, or Lily Auction Bridge," "A New Book 
of Patience Games," A Second XewBook 
of Patience Games," etc. 
And Editor of "Hoyle's Games Modernized" 



LONDON 

GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LTD. 
Broadway House, 68-74 Carter Lane, E.G. 
New York : E. P. DUTTON & CO. 



3^ 



"7 



of 

^ PREFATORY NOTE 

This volume is the fruit of marty years' experience in 
teaching and in analysing the game of Bridge under 
each of the varying forms which it has successively 
assumed. I have borne in mind throughout the 
requirements of the beginner ; but I hope that even 
the expert may find food for reflection in some of the 
views which I have endeavoured to develop. 

I am glad to take the opportunity of expressing 
publicly my gratitude to that excellent analyst, Mr. 
James Castello, for his revision of the proof r heets, and 
for the many valuable hints and suggestion that he 
has furnished. 

The Aut:-1R. 



CORRIGENDUM 

In all three of the diagrams on pp. 122, 124, 126. 

For ^ J read ^ 10 

„ 41 10 „ ^ J 

„ ♦ J »» * 10 

„ + 10 „ 4i J 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Index to the Laws ..... 7 

The Laws • 9 

Introductory ...... 39 

General Routine ...... 43 

Original Declaration by the Dealer . . 43 

When to Bid One in a Suit .... 47 

Not Original Declarations .... 50 

Two-suit Hands ...... 59 

One No-Trump ...... 67 

Not Original No-Trumpers . . . • 73 

The Two-suit No-Trumper .... 75 

The Call of Two or More No-Trumps . . 76 

Second Hand Declarations .... 77 

Third Hand Declarations .... 82 

Fourth Hand Declarations .... 97 

The Bidding on Second Round ... 98 

" Flag-Flying loi 

Doubling ....... 102 

The Original Lead. — I. When there are 

Trumps ....... 109 

Contract allowed to Win through a Wrong 

Opening Lead . . . . .114 

§ 



6 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

The Original Lead. — 11. When there are no 

Trumps . . . . . . .116 

How NOT TO Play a No-Trumper . . 119 

The Original Lead when Partner has Doubled 

A No-Trumper . . . . .128 

The Suit Originally Led : which Card to 
Choose : — 

I. ' — ^When there are Trumps . . .129 

Summary ...... 133 

II. — ^When there are no Trumps . . 135 
The Bath Coup. Neglecting to Change Suit . 137 

Summary . . . . . .139 

The Lead of the Fourth-Best . . .139 
Examples of the Lead of the Fourth-Best . 140 
The Eleven Rule . . . . .141 

Leading to Partner's Declared Suit . .144 
The Ordinary Conventions .... 144 

General Play of the Hand . . . .147 



INDEX TO THE LAWS OF ROYAL 
AUCTION BRIDGE 



PAGE 



The Rubber ....... 9 

Scoring ........ 10 

Cutting ........ 13 

Formation of Table . . . . • 13 

Cutting Out ....... 14 

Entry and Re-entry . . . . -14 

Shuffling . . . . . . -15 

The Deal . . . . . . .16 

A New Deal . . . . . . -17 

Declaring Trumps . . . . . .18 

Doubling and Re-doubling . . . .21 

Dummy ........ 23 

Exposed Cards . . . . . -25 

Cards Liable to be Called . . . .26 

Cards Played in Error, or not Played to a 
Trick ........ 30 

The Revoke ....... 30 

Calling for New Cards . . . -33 

General Rules . . . . . -33 



Three-handed Royal Auction Bridge . . 35 

f^TIQUETTE of RoYAL AUCTION BrIDGE , . 37 

7 



THE LAWS OF 
ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



Framed by the Cards Committee of the Portland 
Club, with the co-operation of a representative 
of each of the following Clubs : The Baldwin, 
The Bath, The St. James's, The Turf, and 
White's. 

Finally Approved and Adopted by the Committee 
of the Portland Club in May, 1914. 

[These Laws are here reprinted verbatim by special 
permission. The Explanatory Notes, which embody 
several of the most recent decisions of the Portland 
Club Committee, are by the Author of the present 
work.] 

THE RUBBER 

I. The Rubber is the best of three games. If the 
first two games be won by the same players, the third 
game is not played. 

Note. — Were it not for a recent extraordinary decision 
by the New York Sunday Sun, it would scarcely be necessary 
to say that " the best of three games " means the majority 
of three games : two games out of three. An agreement is 
occasionally made to play what has been called a partie 
of rubbers, i.e., to play until the same side has won two 
rubbers. In such an event, it must be agreed beforehand 
whether " winning a rubber " is to be deemed to mean 
" winning the majority of games " or " winning the balance 
of points" {see Law 11). 

9 



10 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



SCORING 

2. A game consists of thirty points, obtained by 
tricks alone, which are scored below the line. This 
is exclusive of any points counted for Honom's, 
Chicane, Slam, Bonus, or Under -tricks, aU of which 
are scored above the hne. 

3. Every hand is played out, and any points in 
excess of the thirtj' points necessar\' for the gamie 
are counted. 

4. \Mien the declarer [vide Law 50) makes good 

his declaration by winning at least as many tricks 
as he declared to win, each trick above 6 counts : — 

6 points when Clubs are trumps. 

7 Diamonds 

8 ,, Hearts 

9 ,, Spades (Royal) are trum.ps. 
10 ,, there are No Trumps. 

These values become respectively 12, 14, 16, 18, 
and 20 when the declaration has been doubled ; and 
24, 28, 32, 36, and 40 when the declaration has been 
re-doubled [vide Law 56). - 

5. Honoui"s consist of ace, king, queen, knave, and 
ten of the trump suit. \Mien there are no trumps 
they consist of the four aces. 

6. Honours in trump suits are thus reckoned : If 
a player and his partner conjointly hold — 

I. The five honoin-s of the trump suit, they 
score for honours five times the value of the 
trump suit trick, 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE ii 



II. Any four honours of the tramp suit, they 
score for honours four times the value of 
the trump suit trick. 
III. Any three honours of the trump suit, they 
score for honours twice the value of the 
trump suit trick. 
If a player in his own hand holds — 

I. The five honours of the trump suit, he and 
his partner score for honours ten times the 
value of the trump suit trick. 

II. Any four honours of the trump suit, he and 
his partner score for honours eight times 
the value of the trump suit trick ; and if 
his partner holds the fifth honour, nine 
times the value of the trump suit trick. 

The value of the tramp suit referred to in this law 
is its original value — e.g., six points in clubs and 
seven points in diamonds ; the value of honours 
is in no way affected by any doubling or re-doub- 
ling. 

7. Honours, when there are no trumps, are thus 
reckoned : — 

If a player and his partner conjointly hold— 

I. The four aces, they score for honours forty 
points. 

II. Any three aces, they score for honours 
thirty points. 
If a player in his own hand holds — 

The four aces, he and his partner score for 
lioiiours one hundred points. 



12 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



These values are in no way affected by doubling or 
re-doubling. 

8. Chicane is thus reckoned : — 

If a player holds no trump, he and his partner 
score for Chicane twice the value of the 
trump suit trick. The value of Chicane is 
in no way affected by any doubling or 
re-doubling. 

9. Slam is thus reckoned : — 

If a player and his partner make, independently of 
any tricks taken for the revoke penalty — 

I. All thirteen tricks, they score for Grand Slam 

one hundred points. 
II. Twelve tricks, they score for Little Slam fifty 
points. 

10. Honours, Chicane, Slam, Bonus, and points for 
Under -tricks are reckoned in the score at the end of 
the rubber. 

11. At the end of the rubber, the total scores for 
Tricks, Honours, Chicane, Slam, Bonus, and Under- 
tricks obtained by each player and his partner are 
added up, two hundred and fifty points are added to 
the score of the winners of the rubber, and the 
difference between the two scores is the number of 
points won, or lost, by the winners of the rubber. 

12. If an erroneous score affecting Tricks, Bonus, or 
Under -tricks be proved, such mistake maj^ be corrected 
prior to the conclusion of the gam.e in which it oc- 
curred, and such gam^e is not concluded until the last 
card of the following deal has been dealt, or, in the 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 13 



case of the last game of the rubber, until the score 
has been made up and agreed. 

13. If an erroneous score affecting Honours, 
Chicane, and Slam be proved, such mistake may be 
corrected at any time before the score of the rubber 
has been made up and agreed. 

14. When a rubber is started with the agreement 
that the play shall terminate {i.e,, no new deal shall 
commence) at a specified time, and the rubber is then 
unfinished, the score is made up as it stands, 125 
points being added to the score of the winners of a 
game. A deal, if started, must be finished. 

CUTTING 

15. The ace is the lowest card. 

16. In all cases, every player must cut from the 
same pack. 

17. Should a player expose more than one card, 
he must cut again. 

FORMATION OF TABLE 

18. If there are more than four candidates, the 
players are selected by cutting, the first six in the 
room having the right of belonging to the table, which 
is complete with six players. The candidates who 
cut the next lowest cards have a prior right to any 
after-comer to enter the table. 

19. The four who cut the lowest cards play the 
first rubber ; they cut again for partners, and the 
two lowest play against the two highest. The player 
cutting the lowest card deals first, and has choice of 



14 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



cards and seats, and, having once made his selection, 
must abide by it. 

20. Two players cutting cards of equal value, unless 
such cards are the two highest, cut again ; should they 
be the two lowest, a fresh cut is necessary to decide 
which of those two deals. 

21. Three players cutting cards of equal value cut 

again ; should the fourth (or remaining) card be the 

highest, the two lowest of the new cut are partners, 

the lower of those two the dealer ; should the fourth 

card be the lowest, the two highest are partners, the 

original lowest the dealer. 

Note. — To avoid a fresh cut, it has become customary 
of late years to rank cards of equal denomination according 
to the order of the suits in Auction ; e.g., ii four sixes should 
be cut, those cutting the six of clubs and the six of dia- 
monds would play against those cutting the six of hearts and 
the six of spades ; the player cutting the six of clubs would 
deal first. This practice is not recognized by the Laws. 

CUTTING OUT 

22. At the end of a rubber, should admission be 
claimed by one, or two candidates, the player who 
has, or the players who have, played a greater number 
of consecutive rubbers than the others is, or are, out ; 
but when all have played the same number, they 
must cut to decide upon the out -goers ; the highest 
are out. 

ENTRY AND RE-ENTRY 

23. A candidate, whether he has played or not, can 
join a table which is not complete by declaring in at 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 15 



any time prior to any of the players having cut a 
card, either for the purpose of commencing a fresh 
rubber or of cutting out. 

24. In the formation of fresh tables, the candidates 
who have neither belonged to nor played at any other 
table have the prior right of entry ; the others decide 
their right of admission by cutting. 

25. Any one quitting a table prior to the conclusion 
of a rubber may, with consent of the other three 
players, appoint a substitute in his absence during 
that rubber. 

26. A player joining one table, whilst belonging to 
another, loses his right of re-entry into the latter, and 
takes his chance of cutting in, as if he were a fresh 
candidate. 

27. If any one break up a table, the remaining 
players have the prior right to him of entry into any 
other ; and should there not be sufficient vacancies 
at such other table to admit all those candidates, they 
settle their precedence by cutting. 

SHUFFLING 

28. The pack must neither be shuffled below the 
table nor so that the face of any card can be seen. 

29. The pack must not be shuffled during the play 
of the hand. 

30. A pack, having been played with, must neither 
be shuffled by dealing it into packets, nor across the 
table. 

31. Each player has a right to shuffle once only 



i6 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



(except as provided by Law 34) prior to a deal, after 
a false cut, or when a new deal has occurred. 

32. The dealer's partner must collect the cards 
for the ensuing deal, and has the first right to shuffle 
that pack. 

33. Each player, after shuffling, must place the 
cards, properly collected and face downwards, to the 
left of the player about to deal. 

34. The dealer has always the right to shuffle 
last ; but should a card or cards be seen during his 
shuffling, or whilst giving the pack to be cut, he may 
be compelled to re-shuffle. 

THE DEAL 

35. Each player deals in his turn ; the order of 
dealing goes to the left. 

36. The player on the dealer's right cuts the pack, 
and, in dividing it, must not leave fewer than four 
cards in either packet ; if in cutting, or in replacing 
one of the two packets on the other, a card be 
exposed, or if there be any confusion of the cards or 
a doubt as to the exact place in which the pack was 
divided, there must be a fresh cut. 

37. When a player, whose duty it is to cut, has once 
separated the pack, he cannot alter his cut ; more- 
over, he can neither re-shuffle nor re-cut the cards. 

38. After the pack has been cut, should the dealer 
shuffle the cards, the pack must be cut again. 

39. The fifty-two cards shall be dealt face down- 
wards. The deal is not completed until the last card 
has been dealt face downwards. There is no misdeal. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 17 



A NEW DEAL 

40. There must be a new deal — 

I. If, during a deal, or during the play of a 
hand, the pack be proved to be incorrect or 
imperfect. 

II. If, during a deal, any card be faced in the 
pack, or in any way exposed on, above, or 
below the table. 

III. Unless the cards are dealt into four packets, 
one at a time and in regular rotation, begin- 
ning at the player to the dealer's left. 

IV. Should the last card not come in its regular 
order to the dealer. 

V. Should a player have more than thirteen 
cards, and any one or more of the others 
less than thirteen cards. 
VI. Should the dealer deal two cards at once, or 
two cards to the same hand, and then deal 
a third ; but if, prior to dealing that card, 
the dealer can, by altering the position of 
one card only, rectify such error, he may 
do so. 

VII. Should the dealer omit to have the pack cut 
to him, and the adversaries discover the 
error prior to the last card being dealt, and 
before looking at their cards. 

41. A player may not look at any of his cards until 
che deal has been completed ; should he do so, and 
I card be afterwards exposed, the adversary on his 

B 



i8 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



left shall have option of allowing the deal to stand or 
not. 

42. If the dealer, before he has dealt fiftj'-one cards, 
look at any card, his adversaries have a right to see it, 
and may exact a new deal. 

43. Should three plaj^ers have their right number 
of cards, and the fourth have less than thirteen, and 
not discover such deficiency until he has pla\'ed an}^ 
of his cards, the deal stands good ; should he have 
pla3'ed, he is answerable for any revoke he may have 
made, as if the missing card, or cards, had been in his 
hand ; he may search the other pack for it, or them. 

44. If a pack, during or after a rubber, be proved 
incorrect or imperfect, such proof does not alter any 
past score, game, or rubber ; that hand in which the 
im.perfection was detected is null and void, and the 
dealer m.ust deal again. 

45. Any one dealing out of turn, or with the 

adversaries' cards, may be stepped before the last 

card is dealt, otherwise the deal stands good, and the 

game must proceed as if no mistake has been made. 

Note. — If a player complete a deal mth the wrong cards, 
so that the deal stands good under the Law, the interchange 
of the two packs also stands good. 

46. A player can neither shuffle, cut, nor deal for 
his partner without the permission of his opponents. 

DECLARING TRUMPS 

47. The dealer, having examined his hand, maj- 
either pass or m.ay declare to win at least the odd 
trick, but he may declare to win more. Should hei 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 19 



make a declaration, he must state whether the hand 
shall be played with or without trunr ps ; in the former 
case he miust nam.e w^hich suit shall be trumps. The 
lowest declaration he can make is "One Club" — 
i.e., he declares to win at least one odd trick, clubs 
being trumps. 

48. After the dealer, each player in turn, com.menc- 
ing with the player on the dealer's left, has the right 
to pass or to make a declaration higher than has yet 
been made, or to double the last declaration, or to 
re-double a declaration which has been doubled, 
subject to the provisions of Law 56. A declaration 
of a greater number of tricks in a suit of lower value, 
which equals the last declaration in value of points, 
shall be considered a higher declaration- — e.g., a 
declaration of " Three Clubs " is a higher declaiation 
than " Two Spades " (Royal), and " Four Clubs is 
higher than " Three Hearts." If all the players pass, 
the hand is abandoned, and the deal passes to the 
next player. 

49. A player, in his turn, may overbid previous 
declarations any number of times, and may also 
overbid his partner, but he cannot overbid his own 
declaration which has been passed by the other three 
players. When the final declaration has been made — 
i.e., when the last declaration has been passed by the 
other three players — ^the player who made such 
declaration (or in the case where both partners have 
made declarations in the same suit, or of " No 
Trumps," the player who made the first of such 
declarations) shall play the combined hands of 



20 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



himself and of his partner, the latter becoming 
Dummy. 

50. When the player of the two hands (hereinafter 
termed "the declarer wins at least as many tricks 
as he declared to do, he scores the full value of the 
tricks won {see Laws 2 and 4). When he fails, his 
adversaries score fifty points for each under-trick — 
i.e., each trick short of the number declared ; or, if 
the declaration has been doubled, or re-doubled, one 
hundred or two hundred respectively for each under- 
trick ; neither the declarer nor his adversaries score 
anything towards the game. 

51. If a player make an illegal declaration, such 
as declaring an impossible number of tricks, the 
adversary on his left may demand a new deal, may 
treat such declaration as not made, or may permit 
it to stand. The player in error cannot be penalized 
for more than Grand Slam. 

52. If a player make a declaration (other than 
passing) out of turn, the adversary on his left may 
demand a new deal, or may allow the declaration 
so made to stand, or he may refer it to his partner, 
whose decision must be final. Should the declaration 
be allowed to stand, the bidding shall continue as if 
the declaration had been in order. 

Note. — The following case has been decided by the Portland 
Club. Z. is the dealer, but has not declared. A., thinking 
it is his own deal, says " I pass." Y., the next player, then 
calls One Spade. Z. now says it is his deal, and calls 
One No-trump. What should be done ? 

Decision. — B. (partner of A.) has the triple right of penalty 
as laid down in Law 52, and there the matter ends. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 21 



[It is unfortunate that A/s mistake, for which there is no 
penalty, and which must be deemed a void act, should 
have misled Y., but in giving an official decision, the Laws 
can only be construed strictly. — Ed.] 

53. If a player, in bidding, fail to declare a sufl&cient 
number of tricks to overbid the previous declaration, 
he shall be considered to have declared the requisite 
number of tricks in the bid which he has made, 
provided that the number of tricks shall not exceed 
seven ; and his partner shall be debarred from making 
any further declaration, unless either of his adver- 
saries make a higher declaration or double. If, 
however, such insufficient declaration be accepted 
by the next player passing it, or doubling it, or by 
making a higher declaration, no rectification can be 
made. 

Note. — Either adversary may call attention to the in- 
sufficiency of the declaration, or to the fact that a declaration 
has been made out of turn. See Law 104. 

54. After the final declaration has been made, a 
player is not entitled to give his partner any informa- 
tion as to a previous declaration, whether made by 
himself or by either adversary ; but a player is entitled 
to inquire, at any time during the play of the hand, 
what was the final declaration. 

DOUBLING AND RE-DOUBLING 

55. The effect of doubling and re-doubling is that 
the value of each trick over six is doubled or quad- 
rupled, as provided in Law 4 ; but it do§g not alter 



22 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



the value of a declaration — e.g., a declaration of 
Two Clubs " is higher than " One Heart/' although 
the heart declaration has been doubled. 

56. Any declaration can be doubled and re-doubled 
once, but not more ; a player cannot double his 
partner's declaration, or re-double his partner's 
double, but he may re-double a declaration of his 
partner's which has been doubled by his adversaries. 

57. The act of doubhng, or re-doubling, re-opens 
the bidding. WTien a declaration has been doubled, 
or re-doubled, any player, including the player whose 
declaration has been doubled, or whose double has 
been re-doubled, can in his proper turn make a 
further declaration of higher value. 

58. When a player whose declaration has been 
doubled, m.akes good his declaration by wanning at 
least the declared number of tricks, he scores a bonus 
which consists of 50 points for wanning the number of 
tricks declared, and 50 points for each additional 
trick he may win. If he or his partner have re- 
doubled, the bonus for wanning the number of tricks 
declared and for each additional trick is doubled. 

59. If a player double out of turn, the adversary 
on his left may dem.and a new deal. 

60. When the final declaration has been made 
{see Law^ 49), the pla}' shall begin, and the player on 
the left of the declarer shall lead. 

61. A declaration once miade cannot be altered, 
except as provided b}' Law 53, but if a declaration 
is obviousty a misnomer, and is amended practically 
in the same breath, it stands as corrected. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



^^3 



DUMMY 

62. As soon as a card is led by the eldest hand, i.e., 
the player on the left of the declarer, the declarer's 
partner shall place his cards face upwards on the 
table, and the duty of playing the cards from that 
hand, which is called Dummy, and of claiming and 
enforcing any penalties arising during the hand, 
shall devolve upon the declarer, unassisted by his 
partner. 

63. Before placing his cards upon the table, the 
declarer's partner has all the rights of a player, but 
after so doing shall take no part whatever in the play, 
except that he has the right : — 

{a) To ask the declarer whether he has any of 

a suit which he may have renounced ; 
(b) To call the declarer's attention to the fact 

that too many or too few cards have been 

played to a trick ; 
{c) To correct the claim of either adversary to 

a penalty to v/hich the latter is entitled ; 
{d) To call attention to the fact that a trick 

has been wrongly gathered by either side ; 
(e) To participate in the discussion of any 

disputed question of fact, or of law ; 
(/) To correct an erroneous score. 

If he call attention to any other incident in the 
play of the hand, in respect of which any penalty 
might be exacted, the fact that he has done so shall 



24 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



deprive the declarer of the right of exacting such 
penalty against his adversaries. 

Note. — If the declarer play two cards frora his O'^ti hand 
to one trick, and omit to play to the trick from Dummy, 
it has been decided by the Portland Clab that the declarer's 
partner may call attention to the error. 

The following case has been decided by the Field news- 
paper. " A. and B. are playing against Y. and Z. A. has 
finally declared Three Hearts. At the second trick A. leads 
a winning trump, and Z. (fourth player) renounces. A. 
turns and quits the trick [see Law 92) ; Y. marks chicane, 

A. is in the act of leading again when Z. says, * I have a 
trump.' He blames Y. for not asking the usual question 
[see Law 93) at the time when he played void. Y. apologizes, 
says, ' We do not score, then, for chicane,' and cancels the 
points he has put do^^^l. 

" The play proceeds, and AB. vrm the odd trick. ^Mien 
writing the score, A. says : ' We are two down, partner.' 

B. (Dummy) says : ' How can we be t^vo do\\Ti with a re- 
voke ? ' Z. now contends that Dummy has cancelled the 
penalty by referring to the revoke. B. rephes that the 
revoke having been announced by Z. himself, and admitted 
by Y. when he cancelled the chicane score, Dummy is entitled 
to correct the erroneous score, by Law 63 (/). What are the 
rights of the parties ? " 

Decision. — B. is correct. . . . Dummy has no right to 
assist the declarer, directly or indirectly, to discover a revoke. 
Furthermore, should the declarer have noticed, but not 
claimed, an unadmitted revoke, Dummy has no right to 
remind the declarer to claim it. Should Dummy transgress 
in these ^respects, the declarer loses his right to a penalty. 

But the public admission of a revoke by the offending 
side, in the presence and hearing of the declarer, naturally 
makes it unnecessary for the declarer to put forward any 
subsequent claim ; and Dummy is put into the same position 
as if the declarer had claimed and proved a previously unad- 
mitted revoke. 

In the above case, therefore. Dummy is entitled, by Law 
63 (/), to that the score is correctly recorded. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 25 



64. If the declarer's partner, hy touching a card, 
or otherwise, suggest the play of a card from Dummy, 
either of the adversaries ma\', but without consulting 
with his partner, call upon the declarer to play or not 
to play the card suggested. 

65. If the declarer's partner call the attention of 
the declarer to the fact that he is about to lead from 
the wTong hand, the adversary on the left of the 
declarer may require that the lead be made from 
that hand. 

66. When the declarer draws a card, either from 
his own hand or from Dummy, such card is not 
considered as plaj'ed until actuallj^ quitted. 

67. A card once played, or named by the declarer 
as to be played from his own hand or from Dummy, 
cannot be taken back, except to save a revoke. 

68. The declarer's partner may not look over his 
adversaries' hands, nor leave his seat for the purpose 
of watching his partner's play. 

69. Dummy is not liable to any penalty for a 
revoke, as his adversaries see his cards. Should he 
revoke, and the error not be discovered until the 
trick is turned and quitted, the trick stands good. 

70. The declarer is not liable to any penalty for an 
error w^hence he can gain no advantage. Thus he 
may expose some, or all of his cards, without 
incurring any penalty. 

EXPOSED CARDS 

71. If all the cards have been dealt, and before 
the final declaration has been made, any player 



26 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



expose a card from his hand, the adversary on his 
left may demand a new deah If the deal be allowed 
to stand, the exposed card m.ay be taken up and 
cannot be called. 

72. If, after the final declaration has been made, 
and before a card is led, the partner of the player 
who has to lead to the first trick exposes a card fi-om^ 
his hand, the declarer miay, instead of calling the 
card, require the leader not to lead the suit of the 
exposed card. 

CARDS LIABLE TO BE CALLED 

73. All cards exposed by the declarer's adversaries 
are liable to be called, and must be left face upvv'ards 
on the table ; but a card is not an exposed card 
when dropped on the floor, or elsevrhere below the 
table. 

74. The foUovdng are exposed cards : — 
1. Two or more cards played at once. 

II. Any card dropped with its face upwards, 

or in any way exposed on or above the 

table, even though snatched up so quickly 

that no one can name it. 

Xote. — According to an old decision of James Clay's 
if a player accidentally pnt his whoie hand (in a closed packet) 
face upwards on the table, every card in the hand could be 
called, although only one card could be seen and named. 
The Portland Club have re-jersed this decision, and their 
ruhng is that only the card (or cards) that are \-isible can be 
called. 

By a traditional decision of " Cavendish " in the Field, 
endorsed by Clay, a hand of cards lowered as held without 
any card being detached from the others [see Law 79), is not 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 27 



legally ^' exposed," and cannot be called. This decision 
applied to Whist laws identical in wording with Laws 
74, 77, and 79 of the Code here annotated. 

75. If either of the declarer's adversaries play to 
an imperfect trick the best card on the table, or lead 
one which is a winning card as against the declarer 
and his partner, and then lead again, without waiting 
for his partner to play, or play several such winning 
cards, one after the other, without waiting for his 
partner to play, the latter may be called on to win, 
if he can, the first or any other of those tricks, and 
the other cards thus improperly played are exposed 
cards. 

76. Should the declarer indicate that all or any 

of the remaining tricks are his, he may be required 

to place his cards face upwards on the table ; but 

they cannot be called. The declarer is not then 

allowed to call any cards which his adversaries may 

have exposed, nor to take any finesse unless he 

announces it when making his claim. 

Note. — No exact definition of the term " finesse *' has as 
yet been given by any authority on the game. The Field 
has decided that it makes no difference whether the " finesse " 
debarred to the declarer has, or has not, been " previously 
proven a winner.'' The Portland Club have decided that 
if Dummy leads a plain suit, which second player, holding 
king, knave of trumps, ruffs with the knave, it is not a 
"finesse " for the declarer, holding ace, queen of trumps, to 
over-ruff with the queen. 

77. If either of the declarer's adversaries throws 
his cards on the table face upwards, such cards are 
exposed, and liable to be called by the declarer. 

78. If aU the players throw their cards on the table 



28 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



face upwards, the hands are abandoned, and the score 
must be left as claimed and admitted. The hands 
may be examined for the purpose of establishing a 
revoke, but for no other purpose. 

79. A card detached from the rest of the hand of 
either of the declarer's adversaries, so as to be named, 
is liable to be called ; but should the declarer name a 
wrong card, he is liable to have a suit called when 
first he or his partner have the lead. 

80. If a player, who has rendered himself liable to 
have the highest or lowest of a suit called, or to win 
or not to win a trick, fail to play as desired, though 
able to do so, or if when called on to lead one suit, 
lead another, having in his hand one or more cards 
of that suit demanded, he incurs the penalty of a 
revoke. 

81. If either of the declarer's adversaries lead out 
of turn, the declarer may call a suit from him or his 
partner when it is next the turn of either of them to 
lead, or may call the card erroneously led. 

Note. — It has been contended that, according to the wording 
of the above Law, if A. leads when it is B.'s turn to lead 
the declarer may call a suit from either A. or B. It is uni- 
versally recognized, however, that such is not the intention 
of the Law, and that the true interpretation is that, when it is 
next the turn of either adversary to lead, the declarer may 
call a suit from that particular adversary. If A. leads when 
it is B. 's turn to lead, and the declarer decides to call a suit, 
he must call it from B. immediately. If, on the other hand, 
he decides to call the card erroneously led, the usual practice 
is to request A to place it face upward on the table, and B. 
then leads whatever card he pleases. 

The following Case at Whist, under a Law identical in 
wording with Law 81 of the Code here annotated, was 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 29 



decided by " Cavendish," and has been since then tradi- 
tionally accepted. 

A. leads, and the other three players follow suit. A. 
plays another card (it not being his lead), and proceeds to 
gather the five cards into one trick. On being told of it, A. 
explains that his attention has been diverted, and that he 
thought he had not played to the trick. The adversaries 
claim to be entitled to the penalties for a lead out of turn, 
on the ground that the penalty should depend not on the 
actual intention of the player, but on his possible intention. 

Decision. — A. has not led out of turn ; he has merely 
exposed a card. The abstract principle pleaded by the 
adversaries is quite sound, but it does not apply to this case. 
A.'s word must be taken as correctly representing the fact 
that he played a second time to one trick. 

82. If the declarer lead out of turn, either from his 
own hand or from Dummy, he incurs no penalty ; 
but he may not rectify the error after the second hand 
has played, unless called upon by either adversary to 
do so. 

83. If any player lead out of turn, and the other 
three have followed him, the trick is complete, and 
the error cannot be rectified ; but if only the second, 
or the second and third, have played to the false 
lead, their cards, on discovery of the mistake, can be 
taken back ; and there is no penalty against any 
one, excepting the original offender, and then only 
when he is one of the declarer's adversaries. 

84. In no case can a player be compelled to play 
a card which would obhge him to revoke. 

85. The call of a card may be repeated until such 
card has been played. 

86. If a player called on to lead a suit have none 
of it, the penalty is paid. 



30 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



CARDS PLAYED IN ERROR, OR NOT 
PLAYED TO A TRICK 

87. Should the fourth hand play before the second, 
the latter (not being Dummy or his partner) may be 
called on to win, or not to win, the trick, or to discard 
from a suit specified by the declarer (subject to 
Law 84). 

88. If any one (not being Dummy) omit playing 
to a form.er trick, and such error be not discovered 
until he has played to the next, the adversaries may 
claim a new deal ; should they decide that the deal 
stands good, or should Dummiy have omiitted to play 
to a former trick, and such error be not discovered 
till he shall have played to the next, the surplus card 
at the end of the hand is considered to have been 
played to the imperfect trick, but does not constitute 
a revoke therein. 

89. If any one play two cards to the same trick, 
or mxix a card with a trick to which it does not pro- 
perly belong, and the mistake be not discovered until 
the hand is played out, he (not being Dummiy) is 
answerable for all consequent revokes he may have 
made. If, during the play of the hand, the error be 
detected, the tricks may be counted face downwards, 
in order to ascertain whether there be among them a 
card too many : should this be the case they may be 
searched, and the card restored ; the player (not being 
Dummy) is, however, liable for all revokes which he 
may have meanwhile made. 

THE REVOKE 

90. Is when a player (other than Dummy), hold- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 31 



ing one or more cards of the suit led, plays a card of a 
different suit. 

91. The penalty for each revoke shall be : — 

{a) When the declarer revokes, his adver- 
saries shall score 150 points in addition to 
any penalty which he may have incurred 
for not making good his declaration. 

(6) When either of the adversaries revoke, 
the declarer may score 150 points, or miay 
take three tricks fromi his opponents and 
add them to his own. Such tricks taken 
as a penalty may assist the declarer to 
m.ake good his declaration, but they shall 
not entitle him to score any bonus in the 
case of the declaration having being 
doubled or re-doubled. 

The penalty of 150 points is not affected by 
doubling or re-doubhng. 

In no circumstances can partners score anything 
except for honours or Chicane on a hand in which one 
of them has revoked. 

92. A revoke is established, if the trick in which 
it occurs has been turned and quitted — i.e., the hand 
remioved from that trick after it has been turned face 
downwards on the table — or if either the revoking 
player or his partner, whether in his right turn or 
otherwise, lead or play to the following trick. 

Note. — It has been decided by the Portland Club that to 
throw the rest of one's cards on the table (abandoning the 
hand) is an act of play sufhcient to estabhsh a revoke. 



32 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



93. A player may ask his partner whether he has 

not a card of the suit which he has renounced ; should 

the question be asked before the trick is turned and 

quitted, subsequent turning and quitting does not 

establish the revoke, and the error may be corrected, 

unless the question be answered in the negative, or 

unless the revoking player or his partner have led or 

played to the following trick. 

Note. — The wording of this Law has sometimes led to 
misunderstanding. If *^ the question be answered in the 
negative," the error may still be corrected, provided always 
that the revoke has not been " estabhshed " in one of the 
modes defined in Law 92. 

94. At the end of the hand, the claimants of a 
revoke may search all the tricks. 

95. If a plaj'er discover his mistake in tim^e to save 
a revoke, any player or players who have played 
after him may withdraw their cards and substitute 
others, and their cards withdrawn are not liable to be 
called. If the plaj'er in fault be one of the declarer's 
adversaries, the declarer may call the card thus played 
in error, or may require him to play his highest or 
lowest card to that trick in which he has renounced. 

96. If the player in fault be the declarer, the eldest 
hand may require him to play the highest or lowest 
card of the suit in which he has renounced, provided 
both of the declarer's adversaries have played to the 
current trick ; but this penalty cannot be exacted 
from the declarer when he is fourth in hand, nor can 
it be enforced at all from Dummy. 

97. After a revoke has been claimed, if the accused 
player or his partner mix the cards before they have 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 33 



been sufficiently examined by the adversaries, the 
revoke is estabhshed. 

98. A revoke cannot be claimed after the cards 
have been cut for the foUowdng deal. 

99. If a revoke occur, be claimed and proved, bets 
on the odd trick, or on the am.ount of the score, must 
be decided by the actual state of the score after the 
penalty is paid. 

100. Should both sides subject them.selves to the 
penalty for a revoke, neither side can score an\1:hing, 
except for honours or Chicane ; should either or both 
sides revoke more than once, the side miaking the 
fewest revokes scores 150 points for each extra revoke. 

CALLING FOR NEW CARDS 

101. Any player (on paying for them) before, but 
not after, the pack be cut for the deal, may call for 
fresh cards. He m.ust call for two new packs, of 
which the dealer takes his choice. 

GENERAL RULES 

102. Any one during the play of a trick, or after 
the four cards are played, and before, but not after, 
they are touched for the purpose of gathering them 
together, may demand that the cards be placed before 
their respective players. 

103. If either of the declarer's adversaries, prior 
to his partner plaj'ing, should call attention to the 
trick — either by saying that it is his, or by naming 
his card, or, without being required so to do, by draw- 
ing it towards him — ^the declarer miay require that 
opponent's partner to play his highest or lowest of 
the suit then led, or to win or not to win the trick. 

c 



34 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



104. Should the partner of the player, solely 

entitled to exact a penalty, suggest or demand the 
enforcement of it, no penalty can be enforced, but he is 
entitled to call his partner's attention to the fact that 
an offence has been committed (subject to Law 63). 
Should any player claim a penalty to which he is not 
entitled, he loses his right to exact any penalty. 

105. In all cases where a penaltj' has been incurred, 
the offender is bound to give reasonable time for the 
decision of his adversaries. 

106. If a bystander make any remark which calls 
the attention of a plaj'er or plaj'ers to an oversight 
affecting the score, he is liable to be called on, by the 
players only, to pay the stakes and aU bets on that 
game or rubber. 

107. Bets on the result of a rubber are won by the 

winners on points. If a rubber is concluded under 

Law 14, bets miade on that rubber are annulled. 

Note. — The practice at the Portland Club is that no money 
passes when the balance of points won on the rubber does 
not exceed 25. In such an eventuality, bets on the rubber 
are void. 

108. A bystander, by agreem.ent among the 
pla^'ers, may decide any question. 

109. A card or cards torn or marked m^ust be either 
replaced by agi'eemxent, or new cards called at the 
expense of the table. 

no. Once a trick is complete, turned, and quitted, 
it must not be looked at (except under Law 89) until 
the end of the hand. 



THREE-HANDED ROYAL AUCTION 
BRIDGE 

The Laws are the same as those of Royal Auction 
Bridge, except as varied by the following : — 

I. The game is played hy three players, all against 
all ; the table being com.plete with four plaj'ers. 

II. The player who cuts the lowest card has the 
fii'st deal ; the player cutting the next lowest card 
sits on the dealer's left, and the remaining player on 
the dealer's right. The cards are dealt as at Royal 
Auction Bridge, but the cards dealt to Dumxmy are 
not taken up until after the final declaration has been 
made. If whilst deaUng a card be exposed, there must 
be a new^ deal. 

III. The dealer makes his declaration or passes, 
and the bidding continues as at Royal Auction Bridge. 

IV. If, after the deal has been completed, and 
before a card is led, any pla\'er expose a card from his 
hand, he shaU forfeit loo points to each of the other 
players ; and the declarer — if he be not the offender 
— ^may call upon the eldest hand not to lead from the 
suit of the exposed card. If he does not exercise this 
right, the card must be left on the table as an exposed 
card. If the card be exposed by the declarer, after the 
final declaration has been made, there is no penalty. 

V. If a player double out of turn, he forfeits lOO 
points to each of his adversaries, and the player 

35 



36 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



whose declaration has been so doubled shall have the 
right to say whether or not the double shall stand. 
The bidding is then resumed ; but if the double has 
been disallowed, the said declaration cannot be 
doubled by the player on the right of the offender. 

VI. The rubber consists of four games ; but when 
two games have been won by the same player, the 
other, or others, are not played. 

VII. WTien the declarer miakes good his declaration, 
he scores as at Royal Auction Bridge ; when he fails 
to do so, he loses to each of his adversaries. 

VIII. The scoring is the same as at Roj-al Auction 
Bridge, except with regard to honours, which are 
scored by each player severally — i.e., each player who 
has one honoiu in clubs scores six ; each player ha\4ng 
two honours in clubs scores twelve ; a player holding 
three honours in clubs scores eighteen ; a player 
holding four honours scores fortj'-eight ; and a player 
holding five honours in clubs scores sixty ; and simi- 
larly for the other suits. In a Xo-trumxp " declara- 
tion, aces count ten each ; and if all four be held by 
one pla^'er, one hundred. 

IX. One hundred points are scored b\' each player 
for every game he wins, and the winner of the rubber 
adds a further two hundi'ed and fifty points to his 
score. 

X. At the conclusion of the rubber, the total scores 
obtained by each player are added up separately, 
and each player wins fi-om, or loses to, each other 
player the difference between his score and that of the 
said other player, 



ETIQUETTE OF ROYAL AUCTION 
BRIDGE 



The following rules belong to the established 
Etiquette of Royal Auction Bridge. They are not 
called laws, as it is difficult — in some cases impossible 
— ^to apply any penalty to their infraction, and the 
only remedy is to cease to play with players who 
habitually disregard them. 

It is unfair to purposely make a declaration which 
is insufficient to overbid the previous one. 

Any one, having the lead and one or more winning 
cards to play, should not draw a second card out of 
his hand until his partner has plaj'ed to the first trick, 
such act being a distinct intimation that the former 
has played a winning card. 

A plaj'er who has looked at his cards, ought not to 
give any indication by word or gesture as to the nature 
of his hand, or call the attention of his partner to the 
score of the game. 

A player who desires the cards to be placed, should 
do it for his own informxation only, and not in order 
to invite the attention of his partner. 

No player should object to refer to a bystander, 
who professes himself uninterested in the game and 
able to decide, a disputed question of facts, as to who 

37 



38 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



plaj^ed anj^ particular card, whether honours were 
claimed though not scored, or vice versa — etc., etc. 

It is unfair to revoke purposely ; having made a 
revoke, a player is not justified in making a second 
in order to conceal the first. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



INTRODUCTORY 

Long before the adoption, by the Portland and other 
leading clubs, of the present scale of values for the 
various declarations, it was freely admitted that 
the old method (2, 4, 6, 8, 12) of counting the values 
of the suits, leading to a ridiculous preponderance 
of No-trumpers, and an equally ridiculous outlawry 
of Spade calls, was wholty unscientific and unsatis- 
factory. Many letters did, in fact, appear on the 
subject in British newspapers with tentative sugges- 
tions of possible ways of imxprovement ; but, as often 
happens, v/hile we on this side the Atlantic did no- 
thing for a long time but talk round and round the 
subject, the Americans set to work to translate their 
ideas into action. 

The first step v/as the permission to declare Spades 
at 10 per trick, in addition to its previous value of 
2 per trick. With this value, the suit was termed 

Royal Spades " or simply Royals.'' About, or 
prior to, the autumn of 1910, card-players in Boston 
(U.S.A.) tried reducing this value to 9, so that one 
more trick might be necessary than in No-trumps to 

39 



40 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



win the game from a love score. In the winter of 
1910, this idea was brought to the notice of Milton 
C. Work by a Boston visitor to the Racquet Club at 
Philadelphia. Mr. Work, akeady famous as a writer 
on Whist and Bridge, after carefully considering the 
merits and demerits of the new plan, came to the 
conclusion that the values of the suits were still badly 
out of balance, and advocated the experiment of 
raising clubs and diamonds to 6 and 7 respectively, 
while No-trumps were to be reduced to 10. An un- 
broken chain of values : 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 : was thus arrived 
at, the isolated value of 2 for ordinary Spades being, 
however, still retained. This was in March, 1911. 
In the summer of that j'ear, Mr. Work took the new 
count with him to Saranac Lake, where it w^as 
played all the tim^e, and w^hence it spread all over 
America. In September, 1911, it was incorporated 
by the Philadelphia Racquet Club into its code of 
laws, and was almost immediately afterwards adopted 
by the New York Bridge Whist Club, although the 
Whist Club in that city did not give it official 
sanction until September, 1912. 

Who first proposed the double value for the spade 
suit, and how the term Lilly or Lily " arose 
for the enhanced reckoning, it seems impossible to 
discover. A story is current, however, to the effect 
that a stranger, who on cutting into a certain rubber 
was informed of the innovation, remarked, as he 
sorted his cards : So j^ou have made the black 
fellow king of all the suits, eh ? Well, Tve got some 
of the royal family myself, so well call this a Liluioka- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 41 



lani/' Not being sure of the correct pronunciation 
of the name of the former Queen of the Sandwich 
Islands, plaj'ers first cut down the sobriquet to 
lillianos, and finally to lillies. Whether the tale be 
true or not, it seems certain that the w^ord was origin- 
ally spelled, not with one /, but with two. 

Upon this form of the game the Philadelphia 
school of players engrafted an elaborate system of 
conventional declarations, known as the High Spade 
calls, in which the complete series of Spade declara- 
tions, from Two up to Seven, were utilized for the 
purpose of conveying information from partner to 
partner as to the type of hand held by each. 

For some time great things were expected from this 
carefully worked out schemxC of " informatory bid- 
ding, but after New York players of the better class 
had discussed and experimented with it sufficiently, 
they came to the conclusion that it was m^uch more 
elaborate than useful, and expressed a decided opinion 
that when a hand is good enough for either of two 
winning declarations, and when the holder of it does 
not care w^hich of them is adopted by the partnership 
for a two-trick contract, he might just as well make 
the choice himself. 

In England, the system w^as generally regarded 
\vith disfavour from its earliest inception, the chief 
ground of objection being its arbitrary and artificial 
character, and the fact that a bid made in one suit 
w^as to be interpreted as signifjdng strength in 
another. The most effectual way of destroying the 
mischief root and branch w^as deemed to be the com.- 



42 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



plete abolition of the lower value for Spades, and this 
step was officiaUj' taken by the publication of a new 
Code of Laws, framed by a consultative committee of 
six of the best known London West-End clubs, and 
finally approved and adopted by the Portland Club 
in Ma}', 1914. This code will be found verbatim at 
the beginning of the present handbook. 

A Table is set out below of the elemientary scoring 
values [see Lav/s 4 to 10 of the Code referred to 
above). 



When Trump Suit is . 







9 




Each Trick above six . 


6 


7 


8 


9 


mi TT 


12 


14 


16 


18 




24 


28 


32 


36 


Five Honours 


30 


35 


40 


45 


Four Honours in one hj^nd 


48 


56 


64 


72 


Five Honours, 4 in one hand 


54 


63 


72 


81 


Five Honours in one hand 


60 


70 


So 


90 


Chicane 


12 


14 


16 


iS 


Double Chicane 


24 


28 


0- 


36 


No Trcjips — Each Trick a 


bove 


six . 




10 


Three Aces . 








30 


Four Aces 








40 


Four Aces in 


one 


hand 


. 100 


Little Slam, 50. Grand Slam 


, 100 


. Rubber, 


250. 


Ga:me, 30 points, obtained 


by t 


dcks 


onl}' 





It will be observed that, relatively to Trick values, 
the Honour values proceed precisely as in ordinary 
Bridge. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 43 



GENERAL ROUTINE 

This being the same as in the old Auction Bridge, 
it is unnecessary to recapitulate it here. Those who 
wish for further information are recommended to 
study Auction Bridge and How to Play It, written 
by Captain H. S. Browning, and published by Messrs. 
Routledge & Sons, Ltd. We shall here proceed 
at once to the consideration of 

ORIGINAL DECLARATIONS BY THE 
DEALER 

It has been remarked by a slangy but entertaining 
wTiter that declarations are made for three pur- 
poses : — 

{a) To give information. 
(b) To obtain the contract. 
{c) To push a mug. 

With purpose (c), which, being interpreted, signi- 
fieth to induce an opponent to go beyond his depth, 
with the charitable intention of watching him drow^n, 
I shall not deal in these pages. You have first to 
make sure that you have really got hold of a mug,'' 
and you have secondly to be careful that he does not 
hoist you with your own petard. It is, in fact, 
entirely a matter of the personal equation. 

Purposes {a) and {h) demand careful consideration, 
most of all in the case of the first call of the hand. 
It is rarely that the dealer wishes — and he would be 
foolish if he did often wish — ^to play the hand straight 
away on his first declaration. In the cases when he 



44 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



does so wish — ^which cases will be dealt with in their 
proper place — ^he bids as high as he can, so as (i) to 
compel his opponents — and (2) to request his partner 
— ^to keep their mouths shut. 

The aim of the partnership should be to ascertain 
what really is the most advantageous declaration for 
the twenty-six cards which are held between both the 
players, not for the thirteen cards which have been 
dealt to one of the two. They will never succeed in 
this aim of theirs unless perfectly clear rules are 
formulated as to the meaning of each other's declara- 
tions, and unless these rules are strictly adhered to. 
Regard it, therefore, as a sacred obligation alwaj's to 
speak the truth to an intelligent partner. Only thus 
will he learn to trust j^ou, and you wiU drive smoothly 
with him in double harness. 

It has been said, conveniently but laxly, that 
Auction Bridge is a game of aces and kings.'' This 
does not mean that aces and kings are of greater relative 
value than at ordinary Bridge ; but it does mican that 
the primary information your partner needs from you 
is not whether you hold a long string of low cards in 
a suit, but in which suits you hold top cards. The 
reason being that all such top cards retain their value 
both when some other suit has been made trumps, and 
when there are no trumps at aU. 

In the transition period of the game, when spades 
still retained their dual value, all the best plaj'ers in 
America, and nearh' all the best players in England, 
headed by Mr. WiUiam Dalton, considered it a prim^e 
axiom that the original declaration of a suit is a com- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 45 



pletely trustworthy announcement to the declarer's 
partner that the suit is headed by at least king or 
ace, if not by both. It seems to be generally con- 
ceded/' says an esteemed Transatlantic writer in his 
most fully-considered work,^ ''that the first call 
made by a player should be as informatory as possible, 
and the minds of expert declarers in all parts of the 
country have comiC together upon a logical plan which 
simplifies the first bid and also makes it most compre- 
hensive/' Great stress is laid on this most vital " 
principle, and it is proclaimed that ''the foundation 
of modern bidding rests upon the rule, which is 
without exception, that the original bid of One in 
a suit indicates a suit headed by ace or king, if not 
both/' 

Is there any reason why the abolition of the lower 
value of spades should modify this dictum ? Mr. 
Dalton is strongly of the contrary opinion. He says : 
" An original bid of a suit must have high cards at 
the head of it. A very good rule is that you ought 
not to declare a suit without at least two certain 
tricks in it against any combination of the cards. 
Such suits as queen and four small ones, or six headed 
by knave or ten, are not calls at all. They cannot 
be anything but misleading. They were bad enough 
at Auction Bridge, but they are worse still at Royal 
Auction, where the bidding is so much higher/' ^ 

There are two recent writers on the game who take 
a different view — Mr. Edmund Robertson and " Bas- 

1 Milton C. Work : Auction Developments, 19 14, p. 59. 
3 Royal Auction Bridge, 4th edition, 191 5, p. 48. 



46 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



cule." The latter, indeed, claims to be the originator 
of the system of declaring ''upon mere numerical 
strength, as opposed to high cards, in the proposed 
trump suit, provided that the declarer has certain 
other elem.ents of strength in his hand, which take 
it out of the general rule/' He states his belief that 
the new principle, although it has been a long tim.e 
in gaining the recognition which he ventures to think 
it deserves, is now uniformity acted upon by the 
majority of enhghtened players, though it is still 
unm^entioned in most text -books. It is a principle 
of great im.portance, because it widens the basis of 
the potential trump declaration, and it confers a 
distinct advantage upon the players by vrhom it is 
recognized and acted upon."^ 

I cannot assent to the claims thus put forward, and 
am of opinion that ''the majority of enlightened 
players still adhere unflinchingh^ to the basic prin- 
ciple of Messrs. Dalton and Milton C. Work. Nor 
can the claim to be the pioneer of a new and advan- 
tageous principle be substantiated ; for, as a m.atter 
of fact, the supposed " novelty is the one idea upon 
w^hich every tj'ro in the gamiC at once pounces \vith 
avidity, and from w^hich he can only be weaned by 
the constant and pertinacious preaching of more 
experienced and wiser players. 

Nevertheless, solely in the case of declarations of 
one of the two "major " suits (spades and hearts), 
I concede that a certain amount of latitude is occa- 

1 Royal Auction Bridge. By " Bascule." New edition, 
I9I5; P- vi. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 47 



sionally permissible, but strictly within the limits that 
will be defined a little later on. 

In the meantime, the learner cannot do better 
than bear carefully in m.ind that the most expensive 
and the most exasperating miisunderstandings have 
been proved, over and over again, to be those which 
arise fromi a belief in the existence of cards, good for 
tricks, in partner's hand, which eventually turn out 
never to have been there at all. Resolve, therefore, 
to v/in a reputation among your fellow players for 
strict veracity in your original calls, and guard 
jealously that reputation as your miost cherished card 
possession. 

WHEN TO BID ONE IN A SUIT 

I consider a clear comprehension of, and an un- 
swerving adherence to, the rules under this head as 
absolutely the m.ost imiportant point of the gamie. 
I therefore put it in the forefront, instead of, as usual, 
beginning v>ith the consideration of No-trumxDS. 

The promotion of the club suit from 4 to 6 
makes it possible to give a single set of rules 
under this head for all the four suits : clubs, 
diamonds, hearts, and royals. 

The essential effect of the modern scale of values 
is that the old distinction between an ''attacking 
and a ''defensive call has been obliterated. It is 
practicable, on the declaration of any one of the four 
suits, to win the game from the score of love. In No- 
trum^ps, nine tricks are required ; in Spades and 
Hearts, ten tricks ; in Diamonds and Clubs, eleven 



48 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



tricks. Hence Spades and Hearts are classed to- 
gether as the Major/' Diamonds and Clubs as the 
"Minor'' suits. The difference is an appreciable 
one, but it is a difference of degree only, not of kind. 

In the case of every suit, two conditions must be 
fulfilled. There m.ust be (i) a certain length (gener- 
ally five, never fewer than four) in the trump suit ; 
and there mmst be (2) a certain high-card strength, 
either concentrated in the trump suit, or distributed 
between that suit and the rest of the hand. If there 
are only four trumps, the high cards must be aU 
honours. With nothing in the plain suits, the 
honours must be at least A, K, Q, 10. With K, Q, 
J, 10 only in trumps, there must be one sure trick 
outside. For example : — 

4. ♦ 

7,6,5; A, K, Q, 10; 9,6,4; 8,3,2. 

7,6,5; K, Q, 4; K, Q, J, 10; 8,3,2. 

Similarly, with trumips a little weaker than in 
the former case, and the other cards a little 
stronger : — 

* ♦ 

XS; 7>6, 4; A, Q, J, 10; 8,3,2. 

7.6,5; X4; 9.6,4; A, Q, Xio. 

In hands such as the above, the value of the four 
honours in one hand has been taken into considera- 
tion. A second class of hands, Vvdth five trumps, we 
may sum up by saying that in high cards there must 
be at least average strength (ace, king, queen, 
knave, 10, or their equivalents), and that the trumps 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



must be headed by at least ace, lo ; or king, knave. 
For example : 

•7 * 4» 

7, 6, 5 ; K, Q, 4 ; K, 0, J, 5,4;' 8, 7. 

K, J, 6, 5, 4 ; 8, 7 ; 7- 6, 5 ; A, Q, 10. 

K, Q, 5 ; A, 10, 6, 5, 4 ; Q, J, 7 ; 9, 



Passing on lo six trumps, I would stipulate for 
either ace or king, queen at head of the trumps, and 
one certain trick outside ; or if the trumips have the 
minimum two honours (king, knave), then at least 
extra plain-suit strength of queen, knave and 
another : — 

^ * ♦ 

A, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 ; K, Q ; 9,6,4; 10,2. 

6,5; K, J, 8, 7, 6, 5; Q,X6; K,Q. 

In hands containing two five-card suits, rather less 
high-card strength is permiissible, for with five trumjps 
it is always of special advantage to hold a plain suit 
capable of establishmient by help of the trumips. 
Such hands as these m.ay be considered as a fourth 
class : — 

^ * ♦ 

7,6; Q,X8,3,2; K,Q,J,5,4;8. 

|7; K, J, 10, 3,2; 5,4; K,J, 8, 5, 4. 

l A, 10, 6, 5,4; J, 10, 7; K, 8, 7, 6; — 

I I consider all the above hands as typical of the 
minimum strength that miust be held so as to start 
the bidding on a sound basis. To m.ake this clear, 
I set out hands slightly below^ what I have defined as 
jjbeing necessary. 



50 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



NOT ORIGINAL DECLARATIONS 

9 * ♦ 

K, 10, 7, 6, 5 ; 8, 4 ; K, 9, 6 ; Q, J, 4. 

10,7,6,5; QJ,4; K,Q,J,7; 6,5. 

7, 6, 5 ; A, K, J, 4 ; 9> 7> 6 ; 10, 8, 4. 

7, 6, 5 ; 10, 8, 4 ; 9> 7> 6 ; K, Q, J, 10. 

J, 10, 7 ; A, 10, 6, 5, 4 ; Q, 7, 6 ; 8, 4. 

A, 9, 8, 7, 6 ; Q, J, 6, 4 ; 7, 6 ; 8, 4. 

The first and last of the above hands are recom- 
mended in a recent handbook as sound original One- 
Heart calls. The second, third, and fourth look even 
more seductive. Nevertheless, they will be found, on 
careful analysis, to be essentially defensive, not attack- 
ing, hands ; and the temptation should be resisted. 
Som.e of these hands are quite excellent for assisting 
your partner after he has declared ; but that is a 
different matter, as it is often necessary to run a cer- 
tain risk in the effort to save a game or push " the 
opponent. There is no need to run any such risk in 
the original call of the hand. When your hand is of 
less than average strength, let some one else start 
the bidding : you will find that they will not be 
backward in doing so. 

Referring back to our typical minimum calls, and 
to the three purposes defined on page 43, we shall 
notice that, with all the hands recomim.ended assound, 
the declarer does [a) impart inform.ation ; and is (6) 
prepared, if necessary, to undertake his contract. 
Neither aim is sacrificed to the other. Under the obso- 
lete count, there was current an original call known as 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 51 



an ' 'Inf ormat ory Club ' ' — which meant that , if you held 
a short, strong club suit, you declared the suit, not 
because you were willing to play the hand with clubs 
as trumps, but because you desired to instruct your 
partner to call No-trumps if he could possibly manage 
to do so. There is a writer on Royal Auction who 
advocates the retention of the same device under the 
modern count. I will give the recommendation in his 
own words : — 

One Club is a very important, strictly conven- 
tional, informative call, and is only declared from ace 
and two or more others, or from king, queen, and at 
least one another. . . If the suit contains . . . king, 
knave and others of any kind, the only correct course 
is to pass, if it is impossible to call One No-trump. 
For instance, call One Club on the following hands : — 

^ 4* ♦ 

8, 4, 3 ; K, Q, 9, 5 ; 10, 6 ; J, 9, 3, 2. 

9,7,4,2; A, 4, 2; X8, 4; 10,8,3. 

''The presence of one or more possible tricks in the 
hand is eminently desirable, but not necessary, as any 
player who really understands the convention will not 
expect anything more than the ace, or the king, queen. 
But the ace should have at least two other ones with 
it, and the king, queen should have another one with 
them.'i 

I quote this strange advice with the same purpose 

as led the ancient Spartans to exhibit to their young 

sons the degradation of the helot : in order that it 

1 Hints on Royal Auction Bridge. By Major S. H. Hingley, 
1914, p. 26. 



52 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



may operate as an awful warning. There is one thing, 
and one thing onh', to be done with each of the above 
hands, and that is, to pass. They do not contain 
the vestige of an excuse for any declaration at aU. 

Never forget the golden rule of a weU-known 
American teacher of the game : Everj^ bid m^ust be 
a make." That is to say, every bid m^ust be a sub- 
stantive and bond fide offer to plaj^ the hand with 
the declared suit as trumps, if the rest of the table 
leave you alone. I grieve to think of the fate in store 
for you with the above calls of One Club,'' in the 
event of the other three pla^'ers mereh' remaining 
silent. 

The so-called original " Inform.atorj' Call '' is a 
relic of the Dark Ages ; and the first thing the learner 
has to do is to forget that it ever existed. 

From yoMX first call of One in a suit your partner 
must always be justified in dra\nng the following 
inferences : — 

[a) That with the support from. him_ on which it is 
reasonable for j'ou to reckon, you maj' be expected to 
win the odd trick if you be left in with the call. 

(h) That 3'Ou can take care of the suit you have 
declared if he or the enemy call No-trumps. 

{c) That it will be advantageous for him to lead 
you 3'our declared suit at the first opportunitj'. 

Bearing the preceding in mind it becom^es eas\' to 
see wh}^ even the foUo\^dng hand, although consider- 
ably stronger than the examiples just cited, is not an 
original One-Club bid : — 
^ 9, 8, 6 ; * A, K, 7 ; A, Q, 4 ; 4 10, 9, 5. 3- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 53 



For it m3.y deceive your partner (i) into advancing 
Clubs too far, on his own cards : (2) into leading j'ou 
a club against a No-trumper, It is a supporting hand, 
and nothing else; and if you hold it as dealer, you 
pass as a matter of course. 

It is, however, laid down by M. C. Work (a thought- 
ful and esteemed authority) that \vdth the exceptional 
holding of a four-card suit headed by ace, king, 
together with ace, king in a shorter suit. One trick 
may be originally bid in the four-card suit. Thus, 
you m.ay call One Diamond on the following : 

9A, K,7; *6,4,2; A, K, 8, 5 ; « 9, 6, 3. 

Simiilarl}', One Club, if diamonds and clubs be 
interchanged. Some players might venture One No- 
trump, but I should not think it sound. 

Here is another highly exceptional holding : — 

^9,6,5,4; *A,K,Q; OA, K,Q; ♦ 7, 6, 5 ; 

which, contrariwise, is not a suit call, but a No- 
trumper. 

Do not, therefore, declare originally One trick in 
the longest suit of any one of the following hands, in 
spite of the fact that a current manual on the game 
advises you to do so : — 

^ * 4 

Q,9,8,7,6; 7,3,2; K, Q, 7 ; K, 3. 

A, 5, 4 ; 10, 9 ; A, 10, 8 ; J, 10, 8, 7, 4. 

8,7,6; A, J, 10; K, Q, 10, 9; 6,5,2. 

A, 5. 4; X9^8,7; 10,8; A, 5, 2. 



54 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



Even with eight spades or hearts, queen high, and 
no other high cards, follow the same general rule. 
As it is difficult for old \Miist or Bridge players to 
understand the evil consequences that may follow 
from a violation of our basic principle, it is ad\dsable 
to give an illustration. A selected deal does not 
prove anything, of course ; but may nevertheless 
make clearer the rationale of the rule. 

^ A, 9, 6. 

* A, K, Q. 

J, 10,8, 5, 3. 

♦ 3> 2. 



^8, 4. 

* 9, 8, 7, 6, 5. 
A, K, Q, 7, 4. 

♦ 10. 




9 K.QJ,io,5,2. 

* J, 10,4,2. 
6. 

* A, K. 



9,2. 

^ X 8' 9' 7. 6, 5, 4- 
This is how the cards actually fell : the deal has 
not been ''packed'' for effect. It be observed 
that the distribution is quite a fail* and natural one. 

At the score of love all, Z. deals. Now, it is clear 
that Z. may rightfully be quite content to play 
the deal with spades for trumips. If Y. has any good 
plain-suit cards, the spades will defend them splen- 
didly ; if Y. has no good cards, there is nothing to be 
effected in any case, and the six very probable trump 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 55 



tricks must prevent serious loss. As a Whist argu- 
ment, all this is sound as a bell ; the trouble is that 
the game is not Whist but Auction : the opponents 
are going to have something to say in the matter, 
and so is the partner. 

A second important point is that there is not the 
least risk in commencing with a pass : there is no 
risk that every other player will pass and the deal 
be thrown up. There are four aces, four kings, three 
queens and three knaves divided up among A., Y., 
and B. ; and some one of the three must have a hand 
that he will declare upon. 

It may be suggested, by those who argue that Z. 
ought to call, that with his unusual length in spades 
and weakness in the other suits he should begin by 
calling Two Spades ; and we will, therefore, suppose 
that he does so. The call partly achieves its object 
by preventing A. from showing his diamonds ; he 
can only pass. Y. of course passes.^ He has fine 

1 An advocate of the system of calling of which I dis- 
approve has suggested that Y.'s duty is to overcall on the 
first round with Two No-trumps. If there is one maxim of 
declaring more important than another, it is nev&r to over- 
hid when ths call suits your hand, a maxim, I admit, which is 
more honoured in the breach than in the observance by 
unsystematic callers. Z.'s Two-spade call means : " I will be 
responsible for this hand if you have reasonable support and 
will let me alone." Now Y. has splendid support, and there- 
fore no possible excuse for interference. Started otherwise, 
the bidding might go : Z., One Spade ; A., Two Diamonds ; 
Y., Two No-trumps (showing control of diamonds) ; B., 
Three Hearts ; Z., Three Spades ; A., Four Hearts ; Y., 
Four No-trumps ; and the result is precisely as before, the 
initial hid heing th» •rror. 



56 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



support, and he understands that Z. wishes to be let 
alone, if possible. B. calls Three Hearts. Z. is 
driven to Three Spades (othervdse the game seems 
gone). A. assists his partner with Foui' Hearts (his 
three sure tricks in diamonds and singleton spade 
fully justif}' this, even though he has only two hearts). 
Y, now shows his sure stopper in the opponents' suit 
by bidding Four No-trumps : he holds four certain 
tricks, and naturally credits Z. \nth a genuine Spade 
call. B. passes, and Z.'s case is a parlous one. If he 
passes, the call stands ; B. opens his hearts, and Y., 
Vv'ho has contracted for ten tricks, can make just 
four ! 

It is possible that Z. maj' drag his partner out of the 
pitfall which he originallj' dug for him by overcalling 
with Five Spades ; in which case he gets off more 
easih', being onh' two tricks down, as A. \dU open his 
diamonds in preference to leading the hearts which he 
knows are commanded bj' Y. If B. is famuliar \with 
Z.'s ways, he probably doubles the Five Spades, in 
v,'hich case Z.'s loss wiU be 218 — nearly the value of 
the rubber points. 

Now see the difference if Z., as he ought, begins by 
passing. A. will in this case call One Diamond 
(naturally a disadvantage to YZ.), Y. One No-trump 
(which is correct, as he is sure to stop the diamonds 
on fourth round, and has five of the suit). B., Two 
Hearts. 

This is the moment for Z. to come in \^dth Two 
Spades. He will thus miake the position quite clear 
to Y., who knows his partner must have a long suit 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 57 



without ace or king ; hence he places both of these 
cards with AB. 

A. supports his partner, as before, with Three 
Hearts. Y. is well aware that he cannot pursue his 
No-trumper, but must assist the spades on his side- 
suit strength ; he calls Three Spades. 

Now YZ. have B. just where they want him. If 
he does not overbid, YZ. m.ake their contract, for 
AB. can onh^ vrin two diamonds and the ace, king of 
trumps. If he calls Four Hearts, as is probable, Z. 
and A. pass, but Y. doubles ; and AB. are bound to 
go dovTO, whether Z. opens with his club (as he should, 
according to inference from the bidding) or with a 
heart — crediting Y. with the ace. 

The deal is typical of what is constantly happening. 
Its lesson should be taken to heart. 

I proceed to explain the limitations (alluded to 
previously) under which I think that Spades or 
Hearts (but not Diamionds or Clubs) may be declared 
without either ace or king. 

If there is strength enough in the plain suits to com- 
pensate for the deficienc}' in trumips, and if the trum^p 
suit itself is sufficientlj' long, the dealer may reason- 
ably argue that he is independent of anything that his 
partner may do. If the latter has a weak hand (even 
if he is weak in trumps), the dealer is adequately pro- 
tected. If the partner has a strong hand, and goes into 
No-trumips, the dealer has fine support. And if the 
opponents have the No-trumper, Z. still wants the 
spades opened, unless (which is very unlikely) Y. 
has a suit v/hich he is sure is a better one. Suppose, 



58 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



let us say, that the dealer holds queen, knave, lo to 
eight spades, and two certain tricks outside. The 
position is now a very different one. Something like 
the following is quite a moderate expectation : — 



^8, 4. 

8,7, 6,5. 
A, J, 10, 7, 4. 
♦ 9. 




^ K,QJ,io,5,2. 

* J, 10, 4, 2. 
6. 

♦ A, K. 



^ A, 3. 
OK, Q. 

♦ Q, J, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. 

I make no objection to Z.'s beginning with One 
Spade ; but think that he would do better to call 
Three straight away. It is not a hand on which he 
desires to encourage conversation betw^een the oppon- 
ents, nor is he at all anxious to hear from his partner. 

However, let us assume, for argument's sake, that 
he says One Spade. A., with his singleton spade — 
and the call being a forced one — ^might say Two Dia- 
monds. Y. passes. B., Two Hearts. Z., Three Spades. 
A. and Y., No. B., Four Hearts. Z., Four Spades 
(this is the limit, as he fully expects to lose two 
spades and a diamond). 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 59 



What is B. going to do ? If he calls Five Hearts, 
he goes down two tricks : YZ. will make ace of 
hearts, ace, king of clubs, and a ruff on third round of 
clubs. And if B. does not overcall, YZ. make their 
contract : Z. gets rid of his losing heart on Y.'s second 
club, and AB. only win two trumps and the ace of 
diamonds. 

TWO-SUIT HANDS 

There are hands on which, according to the prin- 
ciples above set forth, it would be equally correct, so 
far as information to partner is concerned, to begin 
by declaring One in either of two suits. For 
example : — 

^ * ♦ 

2; A, K, Q, 3,2; 3,2; A,Q,J,3,2. 

K, 10, 9, 3, 2 ; A, K, 10, 3, 2 ; 3, 2 ; 2. 
A, K, 10, 9, 2 ; 2 ; K, Q, 10, 9, 2 ; 3, 2. 

On such holdings as these, the modern practice is 
to begin by declaring the more expensive suit, and to 
show the other suit later on, as opportunity may 
occur. Your partner is thus offered the chance (of 
which he should take advantage) of showing which of 
the two suits is the more suitable to his own hand. 
If he prefers the second suit, he lets it stand ; or, 
should it be overbid, he raises it. If he considers the 
suit first called to be the more advantageous, he reverts 
to it (whether it be overcalled or no) ; and the object 
of declaring the cheaper suit at the later stage is to 



6o ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



enable him so to revert to the earher call without 
increasing the mimher of tricks. If, on the first of the 
hands given above, you begin with One Spade, and 
if, after Two Hearts have been bid against you, you 
go on to Three Clubs, your partner can show that the 
former suit fits in better with his own cards by bid- 
ding Three Spades. If the Three-club call be passed 
up to him and he does not so over-call, it is an an- 
nouncement on his part that either he is indifferent, 
or that he prefers the clubs to the spades. 

Illustrative Hand No. VHP furnishes an exam.- 
ple. At love all, in the rubber game, the dealer Z. 
holds 

A, Q,5,4,2; * 8, 4 ; O9; 4 A, Q, 8, 3, 2 ; 

and starts with One Spade. A., Two Clubs. Y., 
Two Diamonds. B., No. Z., Two Hearts. A., No. 
Y., No. B., Three Clubs. 

Now Z. has nothing further to say, but passes the 
call, knowing that Y. has the exact m.easure of the 
situation. A. passes also, and Y. calls Three Hearts, 
on which the hand is played. It will be seen that in 
hearts he holds king, knave, 7 ; but in spades only 
the 5 and 4. 

This rational conversation " betw^een partner 
and partner is likely to be of the most value when 
both the suits are major ones ; but a similar advan- 
tage may accrue in other cases also. 

1 See Royal Auction Bridge : the Art and Practice) con- 
taining 45 Illustrative Hands {same author and publisher as 
the present work). 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 6i 



The first and the third of the three hands given 
on p. 59 were sent by me in 1913 to that most able 
investigator, the late W. H. Whitfeld, who made 
actual trials of them by dealing out the remaining 
thirty-nine cards into three packets, and following 
out the declarations proper to each of the Auction 
hands thus formed. He cam.e to the conclusion that 
in one respect there w^as a slight disadvantage in the 
first hand in declaring Spades first, because it occa- 
sionally happened that one opponent held five spades 
to the king. He thought that there w^as an appre- 
ciable danger of the dealer's finding such a combina- 
tion against him. If he starts with Spades, he gets 
no warning of this ; but if with Clubs, it appeared that 
the opponent would be very likely to declare the 
spades himself. 

Mr. Whitfeld recognized, how^ever, the advantage 
of giving partner ''the best chance of showing wdiat 
he w^ants." The dealer, with two suits, does not want 
a No-trum_p declaration, since it is hard to establish 
two suits before the adversaries can estabhsh one. 
By making one of the suits trumps, he can use the 
long cards in it to estabhsh the other. What he wants 
to know is the suit in which his partner has the greatest 
strength. 

I have myself little doubt that it is on the whole 
more advantageous to commence with the m.ore 
expensive suit. A collateral advantage of this plan 
(now generally practised) is that it mxay in some cases 
prevent the adversaries from becoming aware of their 
full strength in a suit which they share between them. 



62 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



WHEN TO BID TWO OR MORE IN A SUIT 

It may naturally be asked : why bid more tricks 
than there is any necessity for ? If the contract can 
be secured on a bid of One, what is the object of under- 
taking to make more than one ? In case of success, 
the reward will be the same ; in case of failure, the 
penalty will be greater. 

This argument would be a weighty one, if there 
were any guarantee that your proposed bid of One is 
going to be allowed to stand ; and if there were no 
object in giving your partner an idea of the contents 
of your hand. The precise aim in bidding more than 
one trick originally is not the same in {a) the major 
and {b) the minor suits ; and the difference should 
be clearly fixed in the mind. We have here, in fact, 
what has been termed the ''parting of the w^ays 
as regards the two classes of suits. 

In former days, a bid of Two was used bj^ many 
players to indicate absence of the high cards necessary 
for the bid of One ; but length in the suit, and a desire 
to play it for trumps. This meaning is now gener- 
ally abandoned, the same conditions being now shown 
by bidding the suit on second round. There are two 
advantages attached to the postponement : (i) It 
may not be necessary to bid more than One ; (2) 
something may transpire in the interim, making it 
desirable to suppress mention of the suit altogether. 
In any case the convention referred to was an arbi- 
trary one, and in some circles was always discoun- 
tenanced for that reason. 

In the major suits, an original bid of Two or more 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 63 



springs from a desire to muzzle the rest of the table. 
There is no motive for such a desire if you have a 
strong all-round hand. But when you are very strong 
in one of the major suits, and very weak in the second, 
you do not want the opponents to get into conversa- 
tion with one another. It is true that you cannot 
prevent the other suit from being bid up to its full 
strength if it is massed in one hand. But it will more 
frequently happen that when the suit is adverse, it is 
divided between the adversaries ; and even though 
each of them may become aware, from your opening 
bid, that you are trying to shut out one of the suits, 
and will in all probability know exactly what that 
suit is, you may often be able to " cut their com- 
munications — so that one of them may never get the 
opportunity of ''assisting'' the other's bid in the 
suit, without going too high. The following deal is an 
example : — 



^ J, 10, 6. 

* J, 4. 3> 2 
8, 7,2. 

♦ K, 8, 3. 



^ K, Q, 7, 3, 2. 
*9> 8. 

A, 9, 5, 4, 3. 
♦ 9- 



Y 



^A,9,8,5 4. 

* A, 6, 5. 
K, Q, 6 

♦ 7, 6. 



A 



B 



Z 



^ None. 



* K, Q, 10, 7. 

J, 10. 

♦ A, Q, J, 10, 5, 4, 2. 



64 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



With spades trumps, YZ. will win the game from 
love arid score 8i for honours. With hearts trumps, 
AB. will win a small slam. 

Bids which aim at stopping the bidding are kno\TO 
as ''preemptive'' or ''shut-out'' calls. WTiether 
they should be practised, on suitable occasions, or 
not, is a disputed point am.ong even the best plaj'ers. 
We are only concerned here with explaining their 
scope and their alleged advantage. 

To justify an original call of Two in a suit, the hand 
m.ust be good for six tricks. Out of the seven Vvhich 
are then unaccounted for, 3^ou have no right to expect 
j^our partner to take more than two — eight tricks in 
all. Similarly, to justify a shut-out call of Three, the 
hand should contain at least seven tricks. In the 
case given above, if spades be trumps, Z., the dealer, 
can count his hand as good for seven tricks at least ; 
and if he believes in preemptive calls, he should start 
with his full bid of Three Spades. If he does not so 
believe, he should start vvith One only, in the ordinary 
way. Half measures are futile : a call of Two Spades 
is likelj' to fail in its purpose. It is clear that Three 
Spades, if bid by Z. in the above deal, will hold the 
contract and win the gam^e, for neither A. nor B., 
although they may both know that Z.'s purpose is to 
shut out the hearts, will dare to bid Four in that 
suit. It is impossible for either of them to tell hov/ 
m.any of the missing hearts are held hy Y., and if they 
make it a practice to overbid on speculation, they will 
constantly be finding them^selves overwhelmed by 
calamity. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 65 



On the contrary, suppose Z. to start with One 
Spade only. A., Two Hearts. Y. can say nothing. 
Z. will, of course, bid Two Spades. A. and Y., No. 
B., Three Hearts ; and is prepared again to overbid 
Z.'s Three Spades with Four Hearts. The example 
is an hypothetical one (it has been previously put for- 
ward by an advocate of preemptive bids), but it does 
represent in graphic manner the principle of cases 
which comm.only occur. 

The bid of Two or more in a m.ajor suit is a definile 
instruction to partner that the declarer is prepared to 
take full responsibility for the deal, and wishes not 
to be interfered with. 

Similarly, if you hold 

^ A, K, J, la, 8, 5 ; * A, 7, 6, 2; Q, J, 10; ♦ None ; 

you bid Three Hearts at once, on the samiC principle, 
to shut out, if possible, the spades. 
But on 

9 A, K, J, 10, 8, 5 ; * K, Q ; Q, X 10 ; 4 A, K ; 

declare One Heart, and serenely await developm.ents. 
You are quite willing to accept any informiation that 
may be proffered by the other players, and will be 
able to take the fullest advantage thereof. The 
motive for ''shutting out no longer exists. 

The cases of Diamonds and Clubs stand on a differ- 
ent footing. 1 The number of probable tricks that 

1 On the assumption, of course, that five by cards are 
necessary for game. If the score is such that four by cards 
win game, the minor suits may be bid exactly Uke the major. 

E 



66 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



must be held is the same ; othennse we should be 
violating our fundamental maxim that ^' everv bid 
must be a make/' But vdien we bear in mind that 
a hand good for six or seven tricks in clubs or dia- 
monds is recognized as a speculative Xo-trumper {vide 
infra), even when the strength is divided between two 
suits only, vre perceive that a call of Two or Three in 
either of those suits implies a hand of quite a special 
character — solid clubs or diamonds (A, K, Q, to five 
or more) with a certain amount of side strength, but 
not sufficient to justify Xo-trumps. For instance : 

^ 10, 3 ; + K, 10, 7 ; A, K, Q, 9, 8, 4 ; ♦ S, 2 ; 

upon which you would start the bidding with Two 
Diamonds. If the king of clubs were the ace, you 
would bid Xo-trumps. 

It naturally follows that, a hand of the above 
character, j'ou are anxious, if possible, that your 
partner should shift to Xo-trumps ; whence it is 
sometimes said that a bid of Two Clubs or Diamonds 
is a conventional " in\atation to partner to go Xo- 
trumps. Properly considered, however, the signifi- 
cance thus attaching to it is not a conventional, but a 
natural one ; that is to say, the bid should not be 
made unless j'ou are ready to stand by it : and. 
that is so, a partner quite uninstructed in arbiirar}- 
meanings would rationally deduce that a change to 
X^o-trumxps, if he himself has a hand to fit in, would 
be a benefit to the partnership. For two tricks fewer 
are required to score the game. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 67 



Illustrative Hand No. XVIII furnishes an 
example. At love all, the dealer holds 

^ 8, 6, 5, 2 ; * Q, J ; OA, K, Q, 8, 5, 4, 3 ; 

and calls Two Diamonds. Second hand passes. 
Dealer's partner overcalls with Two No-trumips. All 
pass, and the declarer wins ten tricks. 

It may also happen that, on an extremely excep- 
tional type of hand, the accepted condition of soli- 
dity m the suit can be dispensed with. Holding 

^A; ♦A, 9, 8,7; 0X10,8,7,6,3,2; ♦A; 

I see nothing for it but to call Three Diamonds. 
There are four tricks in trumps and three aces — seven 
tricks, say, in all. With two lone aces, and the only 
long suit far from establishment, the combination is 
markedly unsuitable for No-trumps ; on the other 
hand, it is too strong to pass up without any bid at 
all. 

We will now consider the call of 

ONE NO-TRUMP 

There is a rule known as the Robertson Rule — 
because it was devised and promulgated by Mr. 
Edmund Robertson — which, as the inventor of it has 
himself declared, ''has been extensively misquoted 
and misapplied.'' 

The rule was only intended to be used in reckoning 
up the value of a hand so as to decide whether it be 
strong enough to warrant a call of No-trumps. As 
formulated by Mr. Robertson, an ace king, queen, 



68 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



knave, or ten {each properly guarded) were to be 
counted as 7, 5, 3, 2, and i respectively, according to 
which an average hand — containing exactly one 
of each of the above cards — would sum to 18. 

I have long been convinced — and Whitfeld was of 
the same opinion — that the Robertson scheme of 
counting undervalues the ace : to count 7 for it does 
not sufficiently allow for the influence it is able to 
exert over the whole course of play in a No-trumper 
by retaining the command of a suit until the suitable 
moment for abandoning it. The count I have always 
recommended is the following : — 

For each Ace count 8. 

For each King count 5. 

For each Queen count 3. 

For each Knave count 2. 

For a Ten of independent value count i. 

Notice the proviso that I have added in the case 
of the Ten. The reason is this. For a King or Queen 
or Knave to be worth their full value in points, as set 
out above, it must be fiilly guarded ; and when the 
suit in which they occur is not a long one, the presence 
of the Ten is frequentty necessary to satisfy this con- 
dition. In such a case, its value is incUided in the 
points for the picture-card, and it mxust not therefore 
be counted over again. For instance, the following 
hand 

K, 9, 8 ; * K, 10, 7 ; OK, 10, 6, 2 ; ♦ K, 10, 5 ; 
would be counted by Mr. Robertson thus : — 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 69 



Four Kings count . . . .20 
Three Tens count .... 3 

Total . . .23 

which would work out at 5 points more than the 
average 18 ; that is to say, one King over an average 
hand. 

I consider this estimate to be an exaggeration. I 
regard the Tens of clubs and spades as adjuncts 
bringing the Kings of these suits up to their full value 
of 5 ; the K, 9, 8 of hearts I also reckon as 5 ; but 
the 10 of diamonds (there being four in suit) may 
justly be counted as making that suit worth 6. I 
therefore estimate the hand as worth 21 — a Queen 
above the average. 

Bear in mind Mr. Robertson's own caution that his 
scale of values is not to be applied to singleton aces, 
nor to improtected kings, queens and knaves. He 
says : — 

For a singleton Ace count 3. 
For an unguarded King count 2. 
For an unguarded Queen count i. 

These, I think, are reasonable discounts ; possibly 
the Ace may be worth 4, however, even when single ; 
though it makes a material difference when it miust 
unavoidably be played on the first round of the suit. 

Mr. Robertson, and most other miters on the 
game, recommend an original One No-trump on a 
strictly average hand, ^protected in three suits, " Pro- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



tection means either ace ; or both king and queen ; 
or queen, knave, and ten (without the ten, say queen, 
knave, to four at least in suit). 

I have never been able to see the sense of declar- 
ing No-trumps, even at Auction Bridge (which is held 
by many to justifj^ these thin declarations), on a hand 
which has no chance of fulfilling the contract unless 
your partner has a stronger hand himself. You are 
really declaring, in such a case, not on what you 
yourself hold, but on what you are hoping to find in 
the hand of some one else. This is not a sound 
business proposition. 

Those who advise a declaration of One No-trump on 
a bare average holding adduce the follo\^ing reasons 
for the faith that is in them. They think — 

1. That with an average holding, the advantage of 
the dealer in plaj-ing the combined hands is worth an 
extra trick over and beyond the face value of the cards 
he holds. 

2. That if the dealer passes with an average hand, 
he will discourage his partner from bidding unless 
he has decided strength. A good opportunity will be 
missed, because there was a fair chance of gamiC if the 
bidding had been opened with a No-trump.'' ^ 

As regards the former reason, I consider that the 
dealer's advantage, assuming the play of his oppon- 
ents to he sound, is greatly overrated. Furthermore : 
every time the dealer wins his odd trick, he scores lo 
for it ; every time he loses the odd trick, his opponents 
score 50, with the option of making it 100 if thej- are 
^ Robertson's Royal Auction Bridge, 1914, p. 38. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



strong enough. Even if we reckon points below the 
Hne as being twice as valuable as those above it, the 
odds against the dealer will still be more than 25 to 
10, i.e. more than 5 to 2. 

The second ''reason'' appears to spring solely 
from a confusion of ideas. If the dealer passes, and 
second hand also passes, and third hand has cards 
which, when combined with a bare average hand on 
the other side of the table, offer '' a fair chance of 
game,'' which means nine tricks, why in the name of 
all that's wonderful should he be afraid to bid One 
No-trump ? WTien it is once clearly understood that 
the dealer will not call a No-trum^per unless he has at 
least a queen above the average (which is a fair 
minimum margin), there is no reason at all why third 
hand should not make the same call with a rather 
stronger holding — say an ace above the average. This 
would certainly not be more venturesome than the 
call which the dealer is urged to make. Now if he 
makes a point of bidding on this or greater strength, 
there is assuredly no appreciable chance of missing 
a game hand. How often do you think two hands 
w^hich are between them just an ace better than two 
exactly average hands wiU win three by cards ? 

By a less responsible wTiter than Mr. Robertson, I 
have seen a third reason given in support of what our 
American cousins call the ''fake No-trumper." It 
has been said that since, when the dealer is weak, the 
other three hands will be strong, the original bidder 
has nothing whatever to be afraid of, as his call will 
be certain to be overbid by some one else. The 



72 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



natural corollary of this argument is that the poorer 
the holding, the better the reason for going No- 
trumps. And there was at least one writer, under the 
old count, who prided himself upon carrying the 
doctrine to its legitimate conclusion, and suggested 
that No-trumps was the proper original call on 

9 10, 6, 5 ; * 9, 8, 7, 3 ; 10, 8, 2 ; ♦ 6, 5, 4 ! 

Well, the day for such extravagancies is long past ; 
yet their influence maj^ be traced in the misty ideas 
that still prevail in certain quarters. What object 
is there in making a declaration that you are sure will 
not be allowed to stand ? There is one, and one only : 
to give your partner such trustworthy informiation as 
to the contents of your hand that, relying implicitly 
on what you have told him, he may be able to shape his 
own course to the best advantage. What you tell 
him, if you start with No-trumxps, is just this : that 
you have such cards that, with average cards in his 
own hand, you are prepared to back yourself to win 
the odd trick five times out of seven ; and that the 
com.bination contemxplated will in addition hold out 
the fair chance of game that Mr. Robertson speaks 
of above. 

I maintain with confidence that you are not justi- 
fied in making such an announcement unless you hold 
at least a queen above the average (i.e., ace, king, two 
queens and a knave) with the face-cards adequately 
stopping three suits. 

Take the following, therefore, as representative 
minimum Noners :— 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 73 



^ * ♦ 

A, 2 ; Q, J, 10, 6, 5, 4 ; K, J, 3 ; 9, 7. 

A, 5, 4 ; A, 7, 3, 2 ; Q, J, 3 ; 9, 7, 6. 

10, 5, 4 ; A, 7, 3 ; Q, J, 7> 3 ; K, Q, 6. 

K,Q,4; 10,7,3; Q,X8; K, J, 10, 5. 

K, J, 4 ; K, Q, 8 ; 10, 7, 3 ; K, J, 6, 5. 

The distribution of the suits, so far as the original 
call is concerned, is immaterial ; but, on the first 
hand given above, should the 6-card suit be hearts or 
spades, it may often be advisable to change to the 
suit-call when j'our turn to speak recurs : your 
decision must depend upon what has transpired in the 
interval. 

In practice you will find it very difficult to adhere 
rigidly to principles, when you come down to the 
border-line of strength. You will do well, however, 
to formulate for 3'ourself a perfectly definite rule, and 
to abide by it. 

As examples of what to avoid : I select, from vari- 
ous WTiters, specimens of alleged No-trum.pers on 
which you should make a point of passing the declar- 
ation : — 

NOT ORIGINAL NO-TRUMPERS 

^ * 4 

A, Q, 5, 4 ; 10, 7, 2 ; Q, 7, 5 ; Q, 10, 6. 

(A barely average hand, which an American Sunday 
paper recently described as ''too good to pass/') 

10, 9, 8 ; A, Q, 7, 2 ; Q, J, 10, 3 ; K, 4, 
(The king of spades has not its full value.) 



I 

I 

I 



74 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



9 * ♦ 

9. 8, 7, 3 ; K, 10, 4 ; K, J, 2 ; K, Q, 6. 

(A bare knave above the average, and no ace.) 

^ 4» ♦ 

A, 7, 3 ; A, 6, 4, 2 ; J, lo, 4, 3 ; 4, 2. 

(Equivalent to just an average.) 

Of course I am fully aware that this is quite con- 
trary to the so-called system of a certain section 
of expert New York players, who will tell you that 
their suit calls can always be relied upon, but that their 
calls of One No-trump mean nothing at all ! One of 
these players, when asked by his partner, after the 
hand had been played, what excuse he had for bidding 
No-trumps, replied : The deal, my nerve, and my 
desire to worry the opponents.'' 

This cult of what is sometimes spoken of as the 
''modern border-line No-trumper,'' and sometimes, 
more disrespectfully, as the ''fake No-trumper,'' is 
in direct contradiction to the leading principle of the 
new count that " your bid should always be a make.*' 

It is curious that the proper defence against un- 
sound tactics of this nature should be so little under- 
stood. It has been argued that the opponents can 
never be sure whether the call is made on a cast-iron 
hand, or only upon one ace and a couple of "hopes " ; 
the object of the dealer being to keep them guessing 
in the dark, and occasionally to induce them to ven- 
ture out of their depth on what they take to be a 

dummy gun/' but what eventually turns out to 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 75 



be a piece of genuine heavy ordnance of the most 
destructive kind. 

This is simply a revival of the exploded Whist 
fallacy : Never mind your partner, so long as you 
can puzzle the adversaries/' It seems to be for- 
gotten that the wretched partner is kept guessing too, 
and never has the least idea how to regulate his own 
bids. The policy of the opponents, against these 
bogus opening calls, should be always to leave them to 
be played, and to lie low for penalties, unless they can 
clearly see a prospect of scoring game by over- 
bidding. Let the dealer's partner do the guessing : 
he will find all his work cut out for him. 

THE TWO-SUIT NO-TRUMPER 

There are cases where the usual stipulation for 
''three suits stopped " may be relaxed. When five 
by cards are necessarj^ for game, and you hold a solid 
suit of clubs or diamonds, with another ace for re- 
entry, a speculative One No-trumps is permissible : 

9 * ♦ 

10, 5 ; A, 7, 3 ; A, K, Q, 6, 2 ; 9, 7, 6. 

But at any score at which four by cards will win 
the game, declare the big suit. (If there be no out- 
side ace, and the hand is good for six quick tricks, the 
recognized call is Two in the big suit. Example : 



10, 5 ; 



* ❖ 

Q, J, 10; A, K, g, J, 4; 9,7,6.) 



76 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



THE CALL OF TWO OR MORE NO-TRUMPS 

Ingenious Mr. Doe has remarked that ''the Two 
No-trump call was invented to conceal v>^eakness in 
one of the m.ajor suits/' That is, with two solid 
suits, a third guarded, and nothing in the fourth 
(being hearts or spades), the alleged intention was to 
prevent the missing suit being shown against you on a 
cheap call. Naturally the device, when once known, 
became less useful for that particular purpose, because 
it at once announced, for the opponents' benefit, that 
you were afraid of a red suit being opened. An 
additional drawback is that it prevents your partner 
from bidding Tv/o in a suit, if he v/ants to. 

Illustrative Hand No. XXXII exhibits a com- 
bination which does not comiply strictly wdth the 
above formula, but which nevertheless exemplifies 
instructively the application of the same principles. 
At love all, in the rubber game, the dealer holds 

^A; ^•A,Q, J,5,4; 0A,K,Q,2; 4 Q, 7> 3- 

Now here he is not actually defenceless in either 
hearts or spades, and the clubs are not solid ; yet a 
call of Three No-trumps is distinctly indicated for 
reasons similar to those set out. What the dealer 
wants to prevent, if possible, is the immediate estab- 
lishment of hearts or spades before he has had the 
chance of establishing the clubs. If, at Trick i, the 
ace of hearts is taken from him ; and, at Trick 3, 
an adversary gets in with the king of clubs, the posi- 
tion at the fourth trick is practically the sapie as if 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 77 



there had been sohd clubs and only one small heart 
at the first trick. It will be found that, in the Hand 
referred to, to call Three No-trumps is the only way 
to win the game and rubber. 

A similar call maj^ also be of service for a somxcwhat 
rare type of hand : six or seven solid clubs or dia- 
monds, nothing in one of the major suits, and king 
guarded, or ace, in both the other tv>^o suits. The 
purpose is not to prevent the missing suit being 
opened, but to prevent the call being taken from you 
too cheaply in Hearts or Spades. 

With an unusualty strong all-round hand, hy no 
means bid more than One, but let the opponents do as 
much talking as they like. You may therefore bid 
Two No-trum.ps on hand (a) below ; but not on hands 
{b) and [c) :— 



9 

[a) A, 2 ; 
(6) A, 2 ; 
{c) A, K ; 



A, K, Q, 5, 3, 2 ; 
A, K, J, 5, 3, 2 ; 
K, Q, J, 10, 9 ; 





K,2; 



7. 3> 2. 
K, 3, 2. 
A, K, O 



SECOND HAND DECLARATIONS 

If the dealer has passed, the second hand is put 
into the samic position as the dealer was, and should 
be guided by just the sam^e principles. It is as much 
the duty of the second hand to enlighten the fourth 
hand (on the first opportunity) as it was the dealer's 
duty to enhghten the third hand. 

I cannot agree with those who advise second hand 



78 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



to be more venturesome than the dealer in going No- 
trumps, on the plea that as the dealer is weaker than 
usual, fourth hand is Hkely to be stronger than usual, 
and so better able to give support. If the dealer has 
less than his average of high cards, and second hand 
has (say) just an average holding, one of the two 
remaining hands must have more than the average. 
If the strong No-trumper belongs to the opponent, 
you are foolish to snatch the declaration and put your- 
self under him. If it belongs to your partner, it 
clearly devolves upon him to declare and to play it. 

After an attacking call by the dealer, however, 
second hand is in an entirely different position. 
There is one situation in which it is imperative to 
make no declaration, although it is the most difficult 
thing in the world to prevent the inexperienced plaj'er 
from doing so. If the dealer has bid One No-trump, 
and you have (i) a strong established suit, or (2) a 
suit that you can at once establish, together with 
certain re-entry, say nothing about it if you want to 
defeat the call. You will yourself have the lead ; 
and, if you warn the enemy of their danger, they will 
switch to another declaration. 

Holding such a hand as 

^7,6] * A, 7, 3 ; K, Q, J, 8, 4, 3 ; 41 5, 4 ; 

which offers an admirable chance of defeating the 
No-trump call, your best policy is to pass. You may 
think it a capital opportunity for calling Two Dia- 
monds, but it is not a hopeful undertaking to try and 
win eleven tricks against at least one No-trump hand, 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 79 



while if the enemy has any misgiving about his abiHty 
to defeat your Two Diamonds, he is extremely likely 
to take refuge in Hearts or Spades. It is then quite 
possible that you may lose a game which would 
have been more than safe if you had held your 
tongue. 

In such situations as this, it has been pronounced 
ii an Auction crime " to declare or to double. Should 
your hand, however, be so strong all round that you 
are sure you have a probability of game, it is a differ- 
ent matter, and you may adopt an attacking policy. 
It will particularly pay you to do so if your partner 
turns out to be able to overcall your diamonds or 
clubs with a major suit. 

The following position occurred in actual play, and 
the subsequent developments thereof resulted in som^e 
heated recrimination. The dealer calls One No- 
trump, and second hand, at the score of 27 to love, 
holds the following cards : — 

^7,2; * A,K,Q,9,7,6,3,2; Q ; ♦ 8, 4. 

The chance of game being excellent, I have no 
doubt that here it is right to call Two Clubs. The 
later proceedings are chronicled and discussed in the 
Field of October 9, 1915, p. 625. I need not enter 
into them here, as they are not germane to the point 
immediately under consideration. 

The call of Two of a suit,'' writes Mr. Doe, " over 
a One No-trump is the most horrible and most fascina- 
ting uncertainty of the gamiC. . . . It is useless to run 
risks when the game is neither to he lost nor won," 



8o ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

In Illustrative Hand No. XXVI we have the 
following case : — 

Z 

B A 
Y 

VJ. lo; *K,7,3; A, K, 0, J : 4 Q, X 5, 4- 

At love ail, Z. deals and passes. A., One No- 
trumps. Y., No. Tills is sucli a conjuncture as 
is contemplated by Mr. Doe. Is there any 
possibility that you vrill lose the game by saying 
nothing ? You have your certain tricks in dia- 
monds ; it can hardly be that you do not make 
at least one club or one spade in addition. If B. or 
Z. has a big suit of hearts, it will be declared. Nor 
have 3'OU any reasonable chance of winning the gam.e 
in diamonds unless Z. has somiething substantial, and 
if he has, you will hear from him, as he will be third 
player to the No-trump call. The honours are doubt- 
less an attraction, but wall not compensate for being 
three tricks down. 

In the case of a mxajor suit, the value of honours is 
greater, and there is a better chance of winning the 
game. In Illustrative Hand No. XXXVIII, at 
love all, the dealer calls One No-trump, and second 
hand passes, holding 

9 6,4,3,2; *None; OA, 7, 5,2; ^K,Q,Xo,8; 

Were the 9 of spades the 10, it Vv^ould be much more 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 8i 



doubtful whether Two Spades should not be caUed. 
72 for honours would almost counterbalance 100 
points penalty. 

If the dealer has bid One of a suit, overcall with One 
of any suit in which you can make five tricks, or with 
Two of any suit in which you can m.ake six tricks. In 
each case, you may reasonably expect your partner 
to contribute two tricks towards fulfilhng the con- 
tract. In this position, you are not limited by any 
of the rules ahoitt high cards. You cannot look for- 
ward to a second chance of showing a long weak suit. 
Such a declaration is said to be forced ; the rules 
previously formulated apply only to one that is 
" free.'' With 

97; * K, J, 6, 4 ; J, 2 ; ♦ Q, J, 10, 5, 4, 3 ; 

you would pass as dealer ; but as second hand, w^hen 
the dealer has called One Heart, you would overcall 
with One Spade. 

Never overcall with a contract that you can't make, 
simply on the plea that " you m^ust show your suit." 
There is no must " about it. It follows that you 
are never to call Two Clubs or Two Diamonds on a 
One-trick hand, merely because the dealer has shut 
out your correct call by going One Heart. 

It is difficult to say when to bid One No-trump over 
a suit. Speaking generally, however, the holding 
should be considerably better than an average hand, 
and the dealer's suit should be securely stopped. The 
latter condition is im.portant, because your partner 
will regulate his own bidding on the assumption that it 

F 



82 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



exists. The condition is so universally recognized 
that it may even be said to rank as a convention. 

THIRD HAND DECLARATIONS 
I 

If dealer and second hand have both passed, you 
have to consider that neither of them can hold a 
combination of cards suitable for an original call. 
Neither, for instance, can be expected to have a hand 
a queen above the average with three suits securely 
stopped. It does not follow that your partner is 
necessarily devoid of support for any sound declara- 
tion that 3^ou may yourself be in a position to make. 
Writers who advise original calls of shadowy No- 
trumpers are obliged to take a different view from 
that which I have just expressed. If j^ou know that 
the dealer would have declared One No-trump on 
any of the flimsy pretexts that are held in some 
circles to be sufficient, j^ou will have to aUow for a 
corresponding deficiency in cases where he has passed. 
In any case, vvdthout allowing yourself to be unduly 
discouraged, you v/ill recognize that the general 
average of the cards that you would at the beginning 
have been justified in expecting from him has been 
somewhat lowered. If you have a weak hand your- 
self, the strength of the deal is doubtless massed over 
you in the fourth hand. You may therefore assume 
it as being extremely probable that fourth hand will 
declare. If it is important that any particular suit 
should be led to you by your partner before Dummy's 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 83 



hand goes down, you must now call One in that suit. 
You should also declare any suit in which you think 
you can win game, after allowing for the dealer 
having passed ; and, when so declaring, it is wise to 
bid Two, so as to shut out, or force the hand of, the 
fourth player. To declare No-trumps, you must have 
a stronger hand than has been prescribed for the dealer 
— a hand reasonably good for five tricks. 

II 

If the dealer has declared, and second hand has 
passed. 

You should overbid One Club or One Diamond with 
a Heart, a Spade, or a No-trumper, if you have 
sufficient strength, on account of the improved chance 
of gam^e, but do not overbid a Heart with a Spade, or 
vice versa, unless {a) you are particularly weak in the 
dealer's suit ; (6) \^ou are particularly strong in your 
own suit — say five to four honours, or six to ace, king. 
In the former case, you know that you cannot help 
your partner in his suit, while there is no reason for 
supposing that he cannot help you in yours ; in the 
latter case, you are justified in assuming your suit 
to be better than his. You may overbid a Heart or 
Spade with Two in clubs or diamonds, if long and 
solid. The dealer, understanding the nature of your 
holding, can then either bid Two No-trumps, or can 
revert to his own suit. 

You may overbid a Heart or Spade with No- 
trumps {a) if all the other three suits are safely 
stopped ; or (&), more speculatively, if you hold 



84 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



solid clubs or diamonds and one of the two remaining 
suits safeh' stopped. You risk finding a whole suit 
against j'ou, but, in the majority of cases, you wiU 
play to greater advantage on the Xo-trump call. 

Refer back to the remarks on p. 65 as to the 
significance of an original Two in clubs or diamonds. 
Overbid with Two Xo-trumips if you are m.oderately 
guarded in all the three other suits ; m.cre specu- 
latively, if 3'ou have two of those suits securel}' 
guarded. 

An original Two in hearts or spades is a mandate 
fTomi your partner for you to leave him alone. If you 
hold four aces, 3'ou may disregard his instructions, 
and overbid Two No-trumps ; — not otherwise. 

The injudicious bidding of suit against suit between 
partners is one of the most fatal, as weU as one of the 
comxmonest, errors of Auction Bridge. The m^utual 
interest of the two plaj'ers is obviously to decide, by 
rational conversation, upon that suit which vdU yield 
the best results. Before the bidding, neither panner 
has any knowledge of the contents of the other's hand, 
and begins b}' assuming an average expectation. If 
one of the two holds five trumps, he should mxake his 
declaration on the hypothesis that the other will hold 
two, or perhaps three. If the declarer holds six 
trumps, he certainly should not expect the partner to 
hold more than two out of the remxaining seven. 

Suppose, now, that third hand has onlj' a single 
card in the suit which the dealer has called One : but 
has a good five-card suit of his ovm, he would be right 
to call his own suit if he can do so mthout increasing 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 85 



the contract ; for example, he would be right in 
calling One Heart over One Club, or One Spade over 
One Heart. Suppose, again, that third hand is void 
of a suit in which the dealer has caUed One, the 
former would again be right to call Two, if necessary, 
in a suit of which he holds five. That is to say, the 
additional reason for fearing disaster is sufficient justi- 
fication for issuing a warning even at the cost of 
increasing the contract by a trick. 

Suppose, however, that in either of the above cases, 
the dealer returns to the suit he originally declared, 
third hand should not carrj^ on the contest further, 
unless he has some additional reason which his first 
overcall was not sufficient to proclaim. 

Say that Z., the dealer, calls One Heart. A. passes. 
Y., the third hand, holds 

^ 8, 3 ; * 9, 6, 2 ; 7. 4 ; ♦ K, J, 8, 7, 6, 3. 

Here Y. has two of his partner's suit, but six of his 
own. He is justified in overcaUing with One Spade. 
Had he held only five spades and two hearts, or had 
he held three hearts with his six spades, he would not 
have had the same justification, and should have 
passed. Moreover, as things are, he has imparted 
all the information that he has to communicate. 
When the turn to speak comes round again to Z., 
should the latter, in face of Y.'s announcement, bid 
Two Hearts, the incident, so far as Y. is concerned, is 
closed. He must say nothing further. The matter 
has been lucidly put by the late \V. H. Whitfeld. If 
any player, he points out, has made a declaration 



86 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



which gives a certain piece of information, that in- 
formation is taken into account by all the other 
players who subsequently declare, and is embodied 
in the declarations that they make. If a fresh 
declaration by partner is to be again superseded, it 
must be because of some additional fact which was 
not previously communicated and could not have 
been suspected. 

In the hand given above, suppose that Y. held 
only one heart and six spades, he would be right to 
bid Two Spades on the following round over the Two 
Hearts, inasmuch as the contract would not be thereby 
increased. 

Suppose hearts and spades to be interchanged. 
With six hearts and two spades, Y. would be wong 
to bid Two Hearts over his partner's One Spade. 
With six hearts and a single spade, he would be 
justified in doing so ; but would have nothing further 
to say if the dealer reverted to Spades. 

As another example, I will take a case that was 
recently submitted to the Field newspaper to settle a 
wager. The dealer calls One Heart ; second hand 
passes ; dealer's partner holds 

^J; +A, J, 9, 8, 6; OA, 9. 5,4; ♦ K, 8, 7. 

Ought he to overcall with Two Clubs ? I think not. 
It is true that there is a probability that the clubs 
between the two hands are better than their hearts, 
but that is counterbalanced by the disadvantage of 
having an additional trick to \vin. There is fui-ther- 
more less chance of game in Clubs. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 87 



An original bid of One No-trump opens up a some- 
what disputed subject. The following dicta should 
be accepted with reserve, but they are the best that 
can be put forward in the present state of our know- 
ledge. 

Holding a strong hand, with one missing suit, you 
should take your partner out only in the major suits, 
hearts or spades. With 

9 A, J, 9, 6, 4 ; + K, J, 5 ; A, 10, 9 ; ♦ 6, 5 ; 

it is conceded by most good players that you should 
overbid with Two Hearts. So with Two Spades, if 
the holding in hearts and spades be transposed. Not 
so, however, if the heart suit be changed to clubs or 
diamonds. 

Holding a long weak major suit (say 

^K,3; +Q,7.3; K, Q ; ♦10,8,7,4,3,2) 

you must also overbid, irrespective of the support in 
plain suits. It would be the same if the hearts were 
spades. 

But with a long weak minor suit (clubs or dia- 
monds), the practice is only to overbid when the hand 
has no support in plain suits. Holding 

9 10, 3 ; * 10, 8, 7, 4, 3, 2 ; J, 8 ; ♦ 9, 7, 3 ; 

it is imperative to overbid with Two Clubs, as a 
warning — coUoquiaUy known as a ''rescue.'' You 
tell the dealer that your hand is valueless unless clubs 
are trumps. Interchange spades and clubs in the 
hand previously cited, and you would not overbid, 



88 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



because there is help for a No-trumper even if clubs 
are not trumps. 

The doctrine is usually summed up by saying that 
the " v/eakness take-out " or ''rescue " is obligatorj/ 
in all suits, but the ''strength take-out'' only in 
hearts or spades. 

If you have so strong a hand in clubs that you 
beheve you can m.ake game in them, take out the No- 
trmriper with Three Clubs. This is a special case, 
because the dealer can overbid again with Two No- 
trumps, which Three Diamonds (21) would shut out. 
The bid of Three shows that it is not a " weakness 
take-out.'' 

It has been objected by those who disapprove of 
"take-outs" in the major suits that it is never 
possible for the dealer to know with any certainty 
whether the over call is " aggressive " or whether 
it is "protective." It is urged that such indefiniteness 
makes these overcalls very trying, and is apt to lead 
to misunderstanding and mutual recrimination. I 
see no ground for the objection. The fact appears 
simply to be that some players cannot bear having 
the declaration taken from them by their partner, 
and are apt to consider themselves as slighted or 
ill-treated on the occasions when it happens. " How 
am I to know," I often hear it asked, " whether 
you are taking me out from strength or from weak- 
ness ? " 

The answer is that it is quite unnecessary to know. 
The basis of sound calling is mutual confidence. If 
I bid One No-trump, and my partner, whom I know 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 89 



to be a reliable bidder, says Two Hearts, it is the 
height of stupidity to start an Auction wrangle with 
him by going Two No-trumps, which will result, as 
likely as not, in his going Three Hearts ! What he 
has told me is that, to the best of his judgm.ent, it 
will be so much easier and safer to play the deal in 
Hearts as to justify the undertaking of an additional 
trick ; and that deliberate announcement ought 
to be unreservedly accepted. The overcall in a 
major suit is practically independent of the general 
high-card strength of the hand. There is no such 
thing as being ''too strong'' or ''too weak'' to 
take partner out of a No-trumper, provided that 
your suit of hearts or spades is sufficiently long. 
Remember, also, that a hand with two five-card suits 
is specially suitable for playing with a declared 
trump. With any of the following typical holdings, 
call Two of your major suit over your partner's One 
No-trump : — 

^ * ^ 

A,Q,io,4,3; 7; K, Q, 10, 8, 4 ; 9,8. 

K,J,6; None; Q, J, 10, 6, 3 ; K,Q,J,4,2. 

A, 9, 4, 2 ; 10, 9, 8 ; 4 ; J, 9, 8, 6, 4. 

10,9,2; 7.6,3; 4; 10,9,8,7,3,2. 

" In these days of light No-trumpers," says Mr. 
Robertson, " a contract to make eight tricks with a 
queen or knave suit to five [as in the third of the 
above cases] against a [presumably] strong fourth 
hand, is a foolish invitation to the opponents to 
double. . . . There is the further risk of the dealer 



90 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



misinterpreting the overcall, and going to Two No- 
trumps/' 

The answer to the second part of the objection is 
that the dealer has no business to do anything of the 
kind. It is impossible to protect a deliberately im- 
prudent person from the consequences of his impru- 
dence. The supposed danger of the double depends 
on the hypothesis that the dealer has gone No- 
trumps without justification — an error which, indeed, 
is widely prevalent, but against which I have issued 
an emphatic warning. 

In some circles, the practice of raising partner's 
suit-bid, when no other bid has intervened, is con- 
siderably overdone. One wTiter on the game advises 
that, with such cards as the following : — 

^ K, 7, 3 ; * K, 6, 4, 2 ; A, 9, 6, 4 ; ♦ 8, 7 ; 

the dealer's partner should alw^ays raise (preemp- 
tively, as it w^ere) an original bid of One Heart to Two 
Hearts. You have to consider," it is said, ''the 
possibility of a preemptive bid by the fourth player, 
who is quite likely to be strong in spades — ^your 
own weakest suit." If he bids Three Spades, '* your 
partner, having received no signal of help from you, 
may be quite unable to declare Four Hearts on his 
own, so to speak, and it is obvious that you cannot, 
without grave risk, carrj^ the bidding to Four Hearts 
for him." 

It is impossible to approve of this reasoning. The 
hand specified is barely up to average strength, and 
is therefore just about what the dealer would have 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 91 



been expecting from his partner when he called his 
One Heart. It is always possible for any player to 
jump in with a " shut-out " bid ; but the wisdom 
of such a coiurse is by no means universally admitted, 
and there is no sense in trying to anticipate a pos- 
sibly rash contract by rushing gratuitously into 
an equally rash one on your own account. It is 
really much more likely that fourth hand, if he 
bids Spades at all, will simply bid One. It will then 
be quite tim.e enough for j'ou to consider what you 
will do when it comes round to you again. A gratui- 
tous bid of Two Hearts is likely to give the dealer 
an exaggerated idea of the value of your holding, 
and to induce him to venture out of his depth : this 
is simply plaj'ing the enemy's game. 

Ill 

There rem^ain to be considered the cases when 
second hand has made a declaration. Here the third 
hand has received information from two different 
sources, and he mmst be guided by what he has learnt. 

In considering whether to bid No-trumips over a 
suit called by second hand, when dealer has passed, 
you are not in the sam.e position as if seccnd in hand 
over an original suit call ; because you have the 
additional inform: at ion that your partner has no 
cards to justify an original call. Either the declared 
suit should be stopped twice ; or, if only stopped 
once, xovl should have a solid suit of clubs or diamonds. 

Situations dem.anding good judgm.ent specialty 
arise when Two of a suit have been bid over the 



92 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



dealer's One No-trump. Bear carefully in mind 
that the conditions for a " weakness take-out ''do 
not here exist. The dealer has already been taken 
out by the opponent. If you hold 

^ J, 10, 7. 6, 4. 3 ; * 10, 8, 6 ; 7. 5 ; ^ J, 8 ; 
and Two Spades have been bid on your right, j'ou 
are on no account to overbid in hearts, as j'ou would 
have done, if the No-trumper had come up to yon 
unimpeded. Your only justification for an overbid 
is a holding strong enough to give you game. Y'ou 
must not bid Two No-trumps except with adequate 
strength and the adverse suit stopped. With Spades 
against you, and holding 

^ A, 7 ; * K, Q, J, 10, 8, 6 ; K, J, 8 ; ♦ 9, 2 ; 

your policy is to bid Three Clubs : this instructs 
partner to overbid with Two No-trumps on cofidition 
that he stops the spades, and should be by him so 
understood. 

You are justified in doubling the suit (but not 
in overbidding with Two No-trumps) if you hold 
{a) Two stoppers in the suit ; (b) One stopper and 
two outside tricks. For Two ^No-trumps you must 
have greater strength still. 

On the following case, varjang opinions have been 
expressed. 

Z ' 
B A 

Y 



9K,J,7; *K, 10,8; OA,Q; ♦ Q, X 9. 8, 3- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 93 



At love all, Z. calls One Heart. A., Two Diamonds. 
WTiat should Y. say, holding the cards set out ? 

Two Spades would obviously be bad. The choice 
practically lies between assisting partner with Two 
Hearts or calling Two No-trumps. The fact that 
one trick more is needed for game in Hearts than 
in No-trumps is counterbalanced by the fact that 
in No-trumps there is a greater risk of loss. To 
support a sound Heart call on the cards held by 
Y. is a perfectly safe undertaking. The decisive 
point to consider is which of the two courses wdll 
give partner the mxost useful inform.ation. Two No- 
trumps will announce the diamonds stopped, and 
an adequate am.ount of side strength, but will give 
no inform.ation as to the hearts. I have little doubt 
that it is better to assist with Two Hearts. Nothing 
definite is yet known about the clubs, and B. has j'et 
to speak. If he calls Three Clubs, j'ou will be glad 
you did not call Two No-trumips, as it is very likely 
that B. would have estabhshed clubs and got in on 
the spades to m.ake them. On the other hand, if 
Z. has good clubs, there is hardly a remiote chance 
that the Two Hearts contract can be defeated. 

The assisting or supporting value of a 
hand when the dealer's original suit bid has been 
overcaUed has been defined quite differently by 
different miters. Some insist that the original 
caller does not want strength in the trumps them- 
selves, but only high cards in the plain suits. Others 
are apt to lay undue stress on the possession of 
trumps alone. 



94 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



Now, on the one hand, it is clear that support in 
trumps, both as regards number and high cards, is 
of value. If the dealer has five trumps and third 
hand only one, there are seven between the oppo- 
nents : it may not be at all easy to draw these for 
the defence of any plain-suit strength that may be 
held. Two trumps held by third hand probably 
means seven trumps against six, with the additional 
advantage of five being in one hand. This is such 
ordinary support as the original caUer would have 
looked forward to when he made his declaration. 
Three or four trumps are more than he would have 
reckoned upon ; thej' will make it easier for the 
declarer in two ways : he can win extra tricks 
by ruffing losing cards, or he can more readily 
exhaust the trumps and make tricks with winning 
cards. 

As regards high cards in trumps, these also afford 
help both in drawing the trumps of the enemy, and 
in cross-ruffing more effectually. 

There is a danger, however, of finding both hands 
long in trumps, and short in the same plain suit 
or suits, so that the trumps faU together and are 
wasted. 

On the other hand, it is also clear that high cards 
in plain suits are of value, both as \^dnning tricks 
after trumps are out, and as giving discards to the 
strong trump hand, whereby the adversaries' high 
cards in the suit thrown awa3' may be kiUed without 
exhausting the trumps. 

As a general rule, support in the plain suits is 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 95 



largely neutralized by unusual weakness in trumps ; 
and a suit bid should therefore be rarely raised 
unless two trumps at least be held. It likewise foUows 
that numerical support in trumps — ^the holding of 
three or more — is partly neutralized by an even 
division of the plain suits rendering ruffs less prob- 
able, and perhaps altogether impracticable. 

It does not seem to have been previously pointed 
out that the number of times you are entitled to 
raise yoru partner's suit declaration entirely depends 
upon the number of tricks that he has declared. 
The principle involved being obvious when once 
explained, it seems strange that it should have 
hitherto escaped observation. 

The dealer will declare One in a suit on a hand 
of average strength in high cards and five trumps. 
This we can reckon as good for 3 J tricks, plus i trick 
more for the fifth trump — ^say 4J or perhaps 
tricks in all. The declarer, therefore, in making 
such a declaration, looks to his partner for the other 
2| tricks, i.e. expects him to have such cards as 
will average about five tricks every two deals. To 
be justified in increasing the contract by one trick, 
the partner must have one trick more than the 
declarer has been counting him as good for, that is, 
he must have a hand w^orth 3I tricks — an average 
of seven tricks every two deals. 

How, then, can we give our adhesion to Mr. Robert- 
son's dictum that " in miaking a suit declaration, the 
dealer relies on at least one sure trick from his part- 
ner " ? and that therefore the partner can raise once 

i 

i 



96 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



''holding two sure tricks/' and can raise once more 
for ''each additional trick'' in his hand.^ 

If dealer has declared One Spade, and third hand 
holds 

^K. Q,3; 4i J, 10,4,3; OA, 7, 4; ^ Q, 8, 6 ; 

he has a hand exacth' one queen above the avera^ge, 
and is certainly justified in raising once, but not 
twice. 

Suppose, however, that the dealer has started with 
Tvro Spades. This, as we have seen, indicates that 
he has six tricks in his hand, and is relying on his 
partner for two. In this case, the holder of the 
above hand (worth 3I tricks) cannot be blamed 
for raising twice, and would be fully justified in 
doing so with slighth: increased strength equivalent 
to the missing quarter -trick- — sziy vrith A, J, 4 of 
diamonds. 

In estima.ting tricks, 3'ou are of course entitled 
to reckon probable ruffs ; a ruff in the hand which 
is V\^eak in trumps being the equivalent of a trick. 
Holding 

^ K, 0, 6, 4, 3 ; ^4; A, J, 10, 4 ; # Q, 6, 4 ; 
3'ou would be right in raising a bid of One Spade 
tvdce : once for the high-card strength, and once 
m.ore for an expected ruff on clubs. With the 3 of 
spades instead of the 3 of hearts, j'ou could raise three 
times. 

Be careful to avoid the error of counting the sam_e 
strength tvdce over. It is impracticable, for ex- 
^ Royal Auction Bridge, p. 106. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 97 



ample, to use the same trum.p both for ruffing and 
for extracting an adverse trump. 

Distinctions between ''tricks " and ''raisers are 
shadowy and superfluous. A "raiser " is merely a 
valid reason for increasing your partner's bid ; if 
you cannot vrin "tricks'' with your cards, you are 
not justified in "raising." 

FOURTH HAND DECLARATIONS 

In many situations, the policy of the Fourth Hand 
has been implicitly indicated in what has been aheady 
laid dowTi. If the dealer passes, second hand bids, 
and third hand passes, you will proceed verj'^ nearly 
in the same way as if your partner had started the 
bidding, and you were third hand {v. supra, case 
(II), p. 83). The only difference is that you know the 
hand behind you to be deficient in high-card strength. 
Thus 5'Ou may more boldly overbid a call of Clubs 
or Diamxonds with a view of securing the game. 
If your partner has declared No-trum.ps, and third 
hand has passed, you take him out, if necessary, in 
a suit, exactly as described on p. 87. If third hand 
has bid Two of a suit over partner's No-trumxper, 
the situation of case III again arises, as dealt with 
on pp. 91-2. 

If all three players pass the call up to you, and 
you have an average hand, somie one may, of course, 
be " foxing." If you can rety on your partner, you 
have every right to assume that it is not he ; even 
if you know nothing of the company you are in, it 
is two to one that the guilty party is an opponent. 

G 



98 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



It is also possible that the cards lie so evenly that 
no one had a justifiable call. 

Whenever you find yourself with a strong hand, 
and can see your way to game, do not hesitate to 
go for it. Even the first or second game of the 
rubber is worth 125 points plus the 60 or 70 that 
you will score, on the average, for tricks and 
honours. On the other hand, the assurance of 
scoring 300 points in penalties every other time is 
only worth 150, and is therefore less advantageous 
than a certainty of game. A fortiori if the game be 
the third of the rubber, the value of which is 250. 

If the dealer has bid in Clubs or Diamonds, and 
the other two have passed, and you do not see a 
likelihood of game in your own hand, let the dealer 
play it out. If he has made a higher call, and you 
think that, unless your strong suit is opened at 
once, the game is gone, j^ou must bid to show your 
partner how to save it . 

THE BIDDING ON SECOND ROUND 
The most that can be usefully said under this head 
is that you must draw the shrewdest inferences you 
can from the various bids (or lack of bids), and 
decide accordingly. If your bid as dealer has been 
followed by two passes and by a declaration on your 
right, it is generally unwise to advance your own 
call unless you have six tricks in your hand. With 
five only, it is evidently logical to let the bid go up 
again to your partner, who can overbid if he is able 
to " assist " your call, on the principles that have been 
already expounded. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 99 

If your original call was One No-trump, on 

^ A, Q, 7 ; * A, 8 ; A, 4 ; 4^ A, Q, 10, 8, 6, 2 ; 

and second and third hands have passed, and the 
call of fourth hand is Two Diamonds, you do not 
advance your original call — for you clearly will not 
win eight tricks if a strong suit of six diamonds is 
opened and established, and the adversaries get in 
again with the king of spades — but you should 
overbid with Two Spades. In this case, the hand 
is certainly too strong to let the call go by. You 
may expect eight tricks in Spades, even if the king 
of that suit makes, and your partner does not take a 
single trick. 

Bear carefully in mind that a player who bids a suit 
on second round, after declining to do so on the first, 
indicates length in the suit only, without high cards. 
If it is your partner who makes such a secondary 
call, it is quite improbable that his suit will be of 
use in a No-trumper, unless you have high cards 
in it yourself. 

It has been justly said that second-round bidding 
depends more on inferences from what has previously 
been called than on cards actually held. An example 
from actual play may make this clearer. 



100 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



B/s Hand : 

i^Q, 7, 4, 2 ; 3; 08,7,3,2; 4A, J, 6. 

At the score of love all, Z. deals and passes. A., 
One Club. Y., One Spade. B., No. Z., Two Dia- 
monds (refusing to accept his partner's Spade). A. 
doubles. Y., Two Hearts. What should B. say ? 

It may come as a shock to the student to be told 
Two No-trumps, but consider. B. has both Y^.'s 
suits stopped, and if A.'s double is to be relied upon, 
the latter stops twice Z/s secondary bid of diamonds, 
in which Z. has not the tops, since he could not name 
it on the first round. In addition, B. can depend on 
A. for two sure quick tricks in clubs, and has himself 
the queen of that suit. 

If Y. has two five-card suits, he may have only 
one diamond, or none at all : in either case, A.'s 
clubs Vv^ill probably be good, if he has five of them. 

The actual hands of the other players were as 
follows : — 



^ 10. 



*A, K, J, 9. 

A, Q, 9, 4. 
❖ 9^ 7> 4> 2. 



V 9, 8, 3. 

6, 5.2. 
K, J, 10,6,5. 
^ 8. 



A 



9 A, K, J, 6, 5 
•?» 10, 8, 4. 

None. 

^ K, Q, 10, 5, 3. 



Y 



B 



Whatever Z. opens at No-trumps, B. mmst make 
his eight tricks and contract, with four clubs, two 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE loi 



diaiTionds, and a couple of tricks between the 
spades and the hearts. The deal occurred in a 
duplicate match-game in America. At one table B. 
went Two No-trumps, and made them ; at the 
other tables, Y. was allowed to win his contract in 
either Hearts or Spades. 

"FLAG-FLYING" 

In the early days of Auction, it was considered a 
very heroic thing, when you saw that the opponents 
would m.ake game on their call, to rush in with an 
overbid that you were sure would fail, in order to 
keep the game alive, on the chance of securing the 
rubber points later on. In many text -books, great 
confusion of thought is shown in discussing the ad- 
visability of such a policy. 

If it is the third game of the rubber, it is said, 
with truth, that the difference betw^een winning or 
losing the game is 500 points. It is a fallacy, how- 
ever, to argue that it is worth while losing (say) 400 
points in penalties, in order to live to fight another 
day.'' For, even after paying the penalties, you 
have still an even chance of losing your 250 points 
on a future deal, and so on ad infinitum. The differ- 
ence between losing the rubber and losing nothing 
is 250 points added to what the opponents score in 
going game — ^which is said to average about 70 points, 
tricks and honours. The loss of the gam.e, then, 
means a loss of about 320 points. It is worth paying 
300 to avoid this loss, but not worth paying 400. 
In comparing these two losses, we are reckoning them 



102 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



both as certain ; but in actual play, the probability 
of each event has to be estimated. If it is onty 3 
to 2 that you will lose the 320 (which is comparable 
with a certain loss of 64 points), it is most decidedly 
not worth while incurring a 4 to i chance of losing 
200 in penalties (comparable with a certain loss of 
120 points). 

If the opponents have won a game and you have 
not, it is 3 to I that you lose the rubber, comxparable 
to a certain loss of 125. If j'ou win the second game, 
you wipe out this loss ; if you lose the second game 
you increase the loss to 250. In either case, the game 
is worth 125 points. If 3'ou have won a game and 
the opponents have not, the next game won is simi- 
larly worth 125 points. In everj' case, therefore, 
the value of the first or second game is 125 points. 
A 3 to 2 chance of losing 125+70 points comes to 39 
points. To avoid this, is not worth sacrificing a 
certain 50, nor incurring a 3 to i risk of losing 100. 

Whether, in any particular instance, the flag 
should be hauled down, or kept waving, can only 
be decided by the plaj'er himself, on the same prin- 
ciples as he would use in weighing anj' risk. But 
there is certainh' no heroism, nor even common 
sense, in making unlimited sacrifices. 

DOUBLING 

It is easy for a vi'iter to involve himself in gener- 
alities on this subject, and to leave his readers, at the 
end of his disquisition, no wiser than at the beginning. 

Among the few maxims that will commiand uni- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 103 



versa! acceptance is one inculcating the advisability 
of egging on your opponents till they have under- 
taken a contract which they cannot fulfil and out of 
which they cannot wiggle, when you promptly 
double them and await your reward in placid confi- 
dence. Only, with astute opponents, you cannot 
always work it like that. Nevertheless, occasions 
occur when it would seem that they do not suffer 
through their own fault. Take this case : 

^4.3. 
*A, Q, 4,2. 

Q, 10, 9, 8, 7, 3. 



^ J,9. ^• 

OA, J, 5,4,2. 
^ A, K, Q, 8. 



A B 
Z 



^ K, y, 8, 7, 2. 
* 10, 9, 5. 
K, 6. 
^ ]> 7> 2. 



^ A, 10, 5. 

* K, 8, 7, 6, 3. 
None. 

♦ 10, 9, 6, 4, 3. 

Z. dealt and passed. A. might have declared One 
Diamond ; but he preferred to try for game with 
One Spade. Y., having only one small spade, six 
diam.onds to two honours, and support in clubs, bid 
Two Diamionds in self-defence, which cannot be con- 
demned as \\Tong. B. and Z. passed, and A. doubled. 
Neither Y. nor Z. is justified in overbidding with Three 
Clubs, and the hand was played. 



104 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



B. opened with the knave of spades (to his partner's 
call), v/hich won the trick. Immediately Y. follows 
suit to the spade, B. knows that A. has called on 
tierce miajcr to four spades, and that Y. has no miore. 
At trick 2-, he put the lead into Dumm.y's hand hy 
leading king of hearts. YZ. miade ace of hearts, 
one club, and four trumps, but w^ere two tricks shy " 
of their contract, and AB. scored 200 in penalties and 
14 for honours. 

Except at the score of game aU this is a better 
result than if they had won ten or eleven tricks in 
No-trumips (honours divided) and the gam_e (worth 
125 points). 

It is not always by any means easy to say whether 
it is better to double the opponent, or to declare 
in hope of game. Here is quite a typical instance : — 

V A, X 5, c . 
^ A, Q, J, 9. 

Q, 7. 
❖ A, 0, 5. 



^ 10, 7, 4. 
^ 8, 7, 3. 
A, 10. 
« K, J, 9, 3, c. 

^ K, 9. 5, 3. 
*4. 

0X8,4,2. 
4 10, 8, 4. 

At love all, Z. dealt and passed. A., One Spade 




^ 8. 

# K, 10, 6, 5, 2. 
K, 9, 6, 5, 3. 
#7. 6. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 105 



(certainly an adventurous call). Y., instead of 
bidding No-trumps, doubled. (This was an entirely 
unorthodox proceeding, as it is a generally ac- 
cepted maxim that it is never worth while 
doubling a bid of One.) B., having two spades 
and a singleton heart, saw no danger in the 
double, so he mxade no attempt to pull his partner 
out. Z. of course said nothing, and A. had to w^orry 
through as best he could. 

Y. had an awkward hand to lead from, but he 
started with the ace of hearts, w^hich enabled him 
to see B.'s (Dumm.y's) cards. He continued with 
ace, followed by queen, of clubs ; the latter card 
covered by B. and ruffed by Z., who then led the 10 
of trumps through the declarer to his partner's double. 
Y. took out two rounds of trumps, leaving B. bare ; 
then led out knave of clubs ; and then a small heart. 
The king and queen of that suit gave YZ. eight tricks, 
" setting the contract for 200 points, and also taking 
18 for honours. 

If Y., instead of doubling, had declared No-trumps, 
B. w^ould have opened spades to his partner's declared 
strength, and YZ. would have made five hearts, two 
clubs, two spades, wnning the gamxC with 30 for 
tricks and 30 for aces. If it w^ere the first or second 
gamie of the rubber, this result would be worth 185 
points — ^not so good as the 218 scored by doubling. 
To have w^on the third game of the rubber, however, 
(250 + 60 = 310) would have been mmch more 
advantageous. 

The two preceding examples will probably leave 



io6 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



the student with clearer ideas on the subject than 
several pages of vague discussion. One or two im- 
portant cautions, however, may be added. 

Players do not nowadays double to show one or 
more tricks in the adverse suit and to invite a No- 
trumiper.'' To double m.eans that yon are willing 
to play the doubled call, and are satisfied that you 
will do well out of it. 

Players in America, who invent a new Auction 
convention almost every month, have recently put 
into circulation the artificial rule that the double 
of One No-trump shall always be an instruction to 
partner to bid his best suit ; and the double of One 
in a suit shall be an instruction to him to go No- 
trumps if he can stop that suit. If he cannot stop 
the suit, he must bid his own best suit, as in the 
preceding case. In no circumstances is he to allow 
the double to stand unless he can almost defeat the 
contract himself, and sees no chance of going game 
in anything. 

I only mention this as an instance of a highly 
undesirable kind of understanding which I trust 
will never be adopted in England. The double of a 
bid of One can hardly ever be advisable ; the reason 
being that so moderate a bid is generally apt to suc- 
ceed and to secure the bonus under Rule 58. xAiso, 
there is almost alwaj's a better and more aggressive 
course to be adopted. There are, however, rare 
situations in which it im,y pay, as in the deal cited 
above. 

If your partner has been doubled by the player 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



on your right, yon are not to make any kind of a 
ridiculous call, on the plea that " you are bound to 
puU him out/' Mr. Doe has compared such well- 
intentioned but inept interference to the blundering 
efforts of the child who tlirows the whole household 
into confusion by pretending to ''help mother/' 

An amusing example of the difficulties into which 
those players flounder who cannot remain quiet 
when their partner is doubled is cited hy M. C. Work 
in his Auction Developments. He says that the 
''incident'' is vouched for by eye-\\itnesses as 
having occurred in an American club-room where 
the standard of Auction pla\' is exceptionally high. 
The plaj'er in question, known as "the General/' 
plays his cards with rare skill, but the word " double " 
uttered by an opponent has the samie effect upon 
him as a particularly blatant steam-roller upon a 
restive horse. 

A 

Z Y 

B 

Z. dealt. The General was B., and the bidding 
went as follows : — 

Z. passed. A., One Spade. Y., One No-trump. 
B., No. Z., No. A., Two Spades. Y., Double. B. 
(quickly), Three Hearts. Z., Double. A., Three 
Spades. Y., Double. B. (without hesitation), Four 
Diamonds. Z., Double. A., Four Royals. Y., 



io8 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

Double. B. (after much hesitation and with great 
agitation), No ! Z. and A., No. 

This unusual bidding naturally attracted players 
from all parts of the room, who rushed to the table 
to see the remarkable cards that the General must 
hold. He put down 

9> 8, 6, 4, 3 ; 4» 8, 7, 3 ; 10, 9, 6, 5, 2 ; 4 None. 

It is a golden rule never to double any declaration 
that you feel sure you can defeat, if there is any risk 
of the adversaries shifting to another declaration 
which you cannot double, and on which it is quite 
possible that they will succeed. Put succinctly : 

Never double anything unless yoii ure prepared to 
double everything. 

The double of a declaration on which, if it suc- 
ceeds, the enemy will go game, is called a ''free 
double. It may be indulged in more light-heartedly 
than the double which actually helps the hostile forces 
to go game ; but do not forget that '' you may pay 
too dear for your whistle.*' In the majority of cases, 
it is not true to say the double m.ade no difference, 
partner, as they would have gone out anyhow.'' The 
comfortable doctrine that you may as well be 
hanged for a sheep as for a lamb " means that if you 
have to suffer exactly the same penalty in both cases, 
you may as well have a run for your money. It does 
not mean that you are always justified in doubling 
your losses, and incidentally giving your adversaries 
the option of quadrupling them. Furthermore, 
under the new Code (Law 58), there is a bonus. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 109 



on a sliding scale, for the players who make good 
against a double. This provision was expressly 
inserted to give pause to the inconsiderate doubler. 

THE ORIGINAL LEAD 
I. — When there are Trumps 

It is seldom that the declarer's opponents — ^with 
strength in trumps against them — can establish 
and bring in along suit. It does not follow, however, 
that to establish a suit is useless — for the player 
who succeeds in doing so may give his partner useful 
discards, and may force a trump from the declarer 
to advantage, if the preponderance of trumps be 
not too great. It is also essential, in many cases, 
to make high cards before the declaring side have 
had a chance to discard losers in the same suit, in 
which case your potential winners will be ruffed. 
An instructive example will be found below (p. 114), 
where, if the strong suit of spades be not opened 
immediately, the declarer discards a small one from 
his own hand on Dummy's clubs. 

While, therefore, the old long-suit theories of 
Whist have ceased in great measure to be applicable, 
it must never be forgotten that a long suit has a 
defensive as well as an attacking value. Though you 
may not be able to bring in a suit yourself, you can 
at least take the best chance of not assisting the 
dealer to bring one in. The extreme votaries of the 
short -suit and singleton schools close their eyes to 
the fact that the principle that you are more likely 



no 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



to take tricks in a suit which you refrain from opening 
applies with greater force to a suit of which you have 
few than to one of which you have many. This is 
even more true at Bridge than at Whist, for in Bridge 
the dealer know^s his exact strength in every suit 
from the beginning, and can see just where it is least 
harmful to open, and where it is most advantageous 
to make the enemy open. He is never guilty of 
hugging an ace, queen suit to find, when too late, 
that his partner has the king, or of botthng up a 
supposed tenace of king and knave when partner 
holds ace or queen. 

The best leads are from sequences, whether the 
suits be long or short. If the dealer has declared 
One Spade, and all have passed, so that you have 
no specific indication of strength in any other suit, 
the eldest hand should open the sequence suit from 
anj^ of the following combinations (the suit to lead 
being underlined) : — 

^ 4^ 

^- Q. 4 ; J. 7. 2 ; Q, 6 ; 9, 8, 7, 3. 
2. K, 8, 4, 3 ; Q> ],9,6 ', A, 4, 2 ; J, 5. 
3 X 9> 7 ; Q> 6, 2 ; A, K, 4 ; J, 5, 4. 

In the third case, the diam.ond lead will presumably 
hold the trick, and 3'ou will have the advantage of 
seeing Dummj^'s cards before 3'ou continue leading. 
In the second case, I do not recommend your be- 
ginning with the ace of diamonds to obtain the same 
privilege. There is practically no risk of losing an 
ace, fm'er than five in suit, through not dashing it out 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



at the first trick. Tlie sight of Dummy's cards is 
not sufficient compensation for the harm you may 
do by abandoning control of diamonds prematurely. 
Whenever you have a reasonably good , alternative, 
therefore, leave a short ace-suit alone. A singleton 
ace, however, is frequently a good lead ; if your 
partner can get in, he will return the suit, and you 
get an early ruff. 

A conundrum which I do not profess to be able 
to answer was recently sent to me through a well- 
known weekly journal. 

Being eldest hand,'' said the propounder, the 
dealer having called One Spade, and all having 
passed, which card ought I to lead from 

9A,Q,7; *8,7,3; 0X4.2; 4^8,7,5,2?'' 

In such a case, the lead is, of course, a positive 
disadvantage. We may dismiss the trump lead 
(putting j/'our partner under the declarer) as being 
out of the question. Whether the ace of hearts, 
the 8 of clubs, or the knave of diamonds turns out 
the best is probably a toss-up ; I incline to the ace 
of hearts. Even if the declarer has the king (and it is 
roughly two to one against it), the queen ma}^ make 
on the third round, though it would doubtless be 
better to make it on the first or second by getting 
the suit led to you. There is a slight probability 
that your partner is stronger in clubs than in dia- 
monds ; but the lead from three worthless cards 
is usually both futile and misleading. The knave 
of diamonds may be a guard in the suit ; if your 



112 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



partner has queen and one small diamond, and the 
suit lives three rounds, no play by the declarer can 
rob you of a trick in it, so long as neither you nor your 
partner leads it. 

The lead of a small single card is well enough, if 
your partner has shown strength in the suit during 
the calling. As a leap in the dark, it is a distinctly 
doubtful speculation. The number of trumps most 
favourable to a singleton lead is three. With fewer, 
you are less likely to get a ruff ; with more, there 
is generally less advantage if you do. The specula- 
tive lead of a singleton king is always bad. 

Leads from long suits headed by single honoius 
are often condemned too unreservedly. In the 
course of investigations made at ordinary Bridge by 
the late W. H. Wnitfeld, he found that the lead from 
a long suit to the king was about on a par with the 
lead from a long suit of small cards ; the lead from 
a long suit to the knave vras rather more advanta- 
geous. Both these leads were better than a lead from 
two small cards, and considerably better than from 
three'small cards. The lead from a long suit to the 
queen, on the other hand, is much less advisable, and 
should be avoided. 

The disadvantage of leading from tenaces (by 
which are meant suits headed by A, Q, or A, J, or 
K, J) has been exaggerated. WTiitfeld found that 
the lead from an A, Q suit (contrary to the general 
imipression) was only a little worse than from ace and 
small cards, the lead from K, J, being better than 
either of these. The most unfavourable combina- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 113 



tions of all are A, Q, J ; A, J ; and, in a lesser degree, 
A, 10. I have heard it asserted that a Q, J suit 
opened with a small card is better than a K, J suit ; 
but it is, in fact, slightly worse. In the latter case, 
the greater number of tricks lost through unfavour- 
able positions of the ace and queen are compensated 
by the greater gain in opening the stronger suit 
early. 

Leads from Q, J only, or from J, 10 only, are 
considerably better than from two smaU cards. 
These sequences also provide satisfactory leads 
when at the head of three cards. The lead from 
knave and one small card is not so good as from 
two small cards. Leads from queen and one small, 
or from knave and two small (as pointed out above), 
should be still more carefully eschewed. 

The preceding observations refer solely to blind " 
leads. When the bidding has afforded information 
as to the distribution of strength, yon natiu-ally take 
advantage of your inferences. It is always better to 
lead to partner s declared strength than to open a broken 
or weak suit of your own. 

Many a contract has been allowed to wdn out 
through a bad opening lead from a short suit, when 
j it might have been defeated had the leader followed 
the good old rule of starting with the strongest suit. 
, That I may not be suspected of manufacturing an 
V instance to suit my own theories, I will illustrate by 
quoting Hand II given for purposes of instruction 
j in a recent book on the game announced to have 
' been written for advanced players. I should 

H 



114 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

premise that the hand is intended expressly as an 
example of the declarer's play, which is perfectly 
sound. My point merely is that the declarer ought 
never to have been allowed the chance of exhibiting 
his skill. The hands of the declarer's adversaries 
are not set out, but they can easily be deduced from 
the bidding, the hands of the declarer, and the play 
of the tricks that are given. I have therefore 
filled them in conjecturally. 

Contract allowed to Win through a Wrong 



Opening Lead. 



V A, Q, 9. 
+ K, J, 10, 7. 



Q, X 2. 
♦ 5, 4. 3. 



97, 6- 
* Q, 8. 

A, 10, 7,''6. 
^ K, Q, 10," 9, 2. 



Y 

(Dummy) 



V K, J, 8, 5. 4- 3- 
*A, 4, 3,2. 

5- 
4» J, 6. 



B 



Z 



9 10, 2. 
4»'9, 6, 5. 



K, 9, 8, 4. 3. 
4 A, 8, 7. 



Score : love all, in the first game. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



115 



The Declarations. — Z., One Diamond. A., One 
Spade. Y., Two Diamonds. All pass. 
The first four tricks are as follows :— 
[The card underlined wins the trick. The card 
immediately beneath is led to the next trick.) 



Trick 


A 


Y 


B 


Z 


I. 


+ Q 


«?• K 


* A 




2. 


+ 8 


+ 10 


*2 


6 


3- 


6 


OQ 




O3 


4- 


OA 


J 


+ 3 


O4 



At Trick 5, A. leads the 7 of hearts. 

Here it is pointed out, very properly, that the 
declarer must take no finesse in hearts, but put 
on the ace from Dummy and lead two more rounds 
of trumps, the second of which will be won by A. 
This will leave Y. with two winning clubs, while Z. 
has the 9 to put him in with, so that the only other 
tricks AB. can make are one in hearts and one in 
spades, viz. five in all. Z. can get rid of a spade 
on Y.'s last club, and must make his contract of 
Two Diamonds.'' 

Of course, Z.'s original call of One Diamond is 
quite unjustifiable : he should have passed ; but 
that is not the most extraordinary feature of the 
hand. Although A. is strong enough in spades to 



ii6 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



bid them, and, if he has not five, should hold at least 
K, Q, J, to four, he deliberate^ refrains from leading 
them, and throws away all chance of defeating the 
contract bj^ a lead from the very bad combination of 
a singly guarded queen. 

If he opens with his best suit, as he ought, AB. 
easily win two spades, two trumps, ace of clubs, 
and king of hearts (A., of course, leading through 
Dummy after making his spades), and YZ. are one 
trick shy/' 

II. — When there are no Trumps 

In this case the conditions are wholly different. 
When there are no trumps, the long-suit game reigns 
supreme. The efforts of both sides tend towards 
taking tricks with small cards, and the small cards 
that are most likely to take tricks are those of the 
most numerous suit. It is easier to bring in a long 
suit at No-trumps than at Whist, where it was neces- 
sary to clear trumps as well as the suit itself. It 
is only exceptionally that the strategy of a No- 
trumper wall centre round the careful preservation 
of a tenace, or the placing of the lead at an advanced 
period of the game. 

Do not hesitate, then, when you have had no indica- 
tion from the bidding of how the strength lies among 
the other hands, to open originally from the best suit 
you have, whether it contains a tenace, or whether 
its high-card strength consists of a single honour. 
In the following examples, the dealer is supposed 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 117 

to have declared No-trumps ; all the other players 
have passed ; the suit which eldest hand should lead 
is underlined : — 



9 + ♦ 

1. Q, 6, 3 ; 9, 8 ; Q, 9> 6, 3. 2 ; J, 10, 3. 

2. A, 8, 7 ; J, 10, 4> 3 ; 9 > 7> 6, 3> 2. 

3. K, J ; K, 8, 7, 2 ; A, 10, g, 2 ; J, 8, 4. 

4. J, 9; 9^6,2; J, 9> 6, 3 ; J, 9, 8, 3. 

5. X 7. 3 ; K, J, 9, 3 ; Q, J, 8. 4 ; a, q. 

6. 8, 7 ; A, K, 4 ; K, J, 9, 6, 5 ; Q, 5, 4. 

In No. 3, in actual play, the leader opened wdth 
the deuce of clubs. He may have thought that the 
cheaper suit was more likely to find support in third 
hand ; or perhaps, being an expert whist-player, he 
had in mind the maxim laid down in old times by 
James Clay, that " good players . . . generally 
avoid leading from an ace-suit : they keep their ace, 
if possible . . . to bring in their strong suit.'' I have 
ahvays looked upon this advice with suspicion, even 
at Whist ; to the above hand, at Bridge, it is clearly 
inapplicable. The clubs are not a ''strong'' suit, 
and the ace can be utilized just as weU as a re-entry 
for the long diamond by holding up, if necessary, 
on the second round. 

In No. 4, the diamonds are very slightly weaker 
than the spades, but I have underlined the former, 
in deference to the current idea that, in cases of 
doubt, the cheaper suit should be given the preference. 



ii8 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



The argument is that third hand would overcaU a 
No-trumper more freely in a major than in a minor 
suit, because of the better chance of game. There- 
fore, although no announcement of strength in 
diamonds has been made, the lead may be of 
material assistance to partner/' I give the argument 
for what it is worth, and because it is the under- 
lying justification of the Club Convention {see p. 128). 
It would seem, however, to cut both ways ; for the 
dealer would certainly be more likelj' to declare No- 
trumps with his main strength in a minor than in a 
major suit ; and dealer's partner would be more 
likely to over call a No-trumper with strength in a 
major than in a minor suit. On both accounts, 
therefore, the opponents are more likely to be strong 
in diamonds or clubs than in hearts or spades. 

I should say, myself, that there is practically 
nothing to choose, in hand No. 4, between the 
diamonds and the spades. In actual play, however, 
the 9 of clubs was chosen as a strengthening card,'' 
and the lead was approved of by a witer on the 
game. In my opinion, it is about twice as likely to 

strengthen " an adversary as the partner. 

For the lead of the 3 of clubs in No. 5, I have been 
roundty taken to task hy one of the never-open- 
from-a-tenace " school, who wrote to me that this 
''absurd initial lead" was ''absolutely opposed to 
all recognized ideas on the game." Those who agree 
with him would open, I suppose, with the 4 of dia- 
monds, or perhaps with the knave of hearts. 

Hand No. 6 was dealt in a game at which I was 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 119 



a looker-on. The leader refrained' from opening the 
diamonds (" because of the tenace "), and elected 
to play the king of clubs, " to take a look at Dummy's 
hand." He lost the game in consequence. The 
hands and the play are set out below. I will call 
the deal 



How NOT TO Play a No-trumper 

5? Q, 10, 3, 2. 

♦ 9.5- 

10, 3, 2. 

♦ J, 10, 7, 6. 



^ K, J. 6. 

♦ Q, J, 8, 7, 6. 
8, 7. 

♦ 9, 8. 3- 





B 




1 




Z 


A 





^ A, 9, 8, 4. 

♦ 10, 3, 2. 
OA, Q, 4. 

♦ A, K, 2 



^7.5. 

* A, K, 4. 

K, J, 9, 6, 5. 

♦ Q. 5, 4. 

Score : love all. 



The Declarations. — Z. calls One No-trump. A., 
Two Diamonds (if he passes, the others pass, and 
the play is unaffected). Y., No. B., No. Z., Two 
No-trumps. All pass. 



120 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



The Play 

{The card underlined wins the trick. The card 
immediately beneath is led to the next trick.) 



Trick 


A 


Y 


B 


Z 


I. 


dp K 




+ 5 


4> 2 


2. 


^7 


9 6 


^ 10 


£A 


3- 


4" 4 


*7 


«!• 9 


4 10 


4- 


4" A 


+ 8 


02 

_ . . 


<4 3 


5- 


#Q 


43 


46 


4A 


6. 


^5 


9 K 


^ 2 


^■4 


7- 


44 


±Q 


^3 


42 


8, 


05 


±J 


03 


4 


9- 


^5 


^ J 


£Q 


9 8 


10. 


06 


07 


10 


A 


II. 


09 


08 


47 




12. 


J 


4 8 


4 10 


4 K 


13- 




4 9 


4J 


Q 



Comments 

Tn'Cife I. — A's lead is very poor. It is certain that 
Z. stops the diamonds, but even if he holds both ace 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 121 



and queen, Z. has a good chance of bringing the suit 
in, provided he opens it straight off and retains his 
two re-entries in clubs. 

Trick 2. — A. tries leading through strength in 
Dummy, in the vain hope that B. will win and return 
a diamond. 

Trick 5. — B. having discarded a diamond, A. now 
has recourse to spades. This chopping about from 
suit to suit is a fatal fault of weak players. 

Trick 10. — B., being familiar with A.'s methods, 
recognizes that he has been waiting to be led to in 
the suit which he declared, but has declined to 
open. "t--^ 

Trick 13. — We may perhaps hope that A. is re- 
conciled to his loss of the game by the reflection 
that he has prevented Z. from making the queen of 
diamonds. 

This style of play may be thought too bad to be 
taken seriously ; yet many a No-trumper has been 
similarly massacred through the leader allowing 
himself to be frightened off his best suit by the 
declarer's bidding. 

After personal experience of all the meteoric schools 
of short-suiters that have at various times shot across 
the Whist and Bridge firmament, from E. C. How^ell 
(in 1896) onward, I remain firmly convinced that the 
long-suit system is the true basis of all sound and 
successful play at No-trumps. As I have sometimes 
found myself obliged to differ, on certain points, 
from that excellent judge, Mr. Edmund Robertson, 
I am pleased to be able to quote him here in support 



122 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



of my own views. In his Royal Auction Bridge (p. 
157) he mites : — 

When the bidding has not suggested a lead [the 
itahcs are my own] the opening lead against a No- 
trump declaration should be made from the leader's 
longest suit with the object (i) of informing the 
partner where the leader's main strength lies ; because 
(ii) the struggle on each side is to establish one or more 
long suits, and the lead will help to establish the suit 
early ; and because (iii) it is the lead least likely 
to help the declarer, and it has a chance of hitting 
his weak spot and so saving the game before he can 
get into the lead/' 

The principles here involved are so important 
that I am tempted to give another example : — 

^ ], 8, 4. 
♦ 10, J, 4, 2. 

J, 7. 

4K, X 9, 4. 



9 10, 5, 2. 

OK, 8,5,2. 
♦ A, Q, 8, 6. 





B 




yI 




Z 


A 





^ K, 9, 3. 

* A, Q, 3. 
A, 9, 6, 3. 

♦ 7. 5, 2. 



Score : love all. 
trump, and all pass 



A, Q, 7, 6. 

* K, 8, 7, 6. 
Q, 10, 4- 

♦ 10, 3. 

Z. deals and declares One No- 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 123 



Now here, it may be (and has been) argued, if 
you open with a heart, you probably give up a 
tenace over the declarer (not at all a certainty, by 
the way), which counterbalances v/hat you stand 
to gain by bringing in a long heart. Therefore you 
should keep all your guarded suits intact, and lead 
the J of spades, which will doubtless be understood 
by your partner to be a strengthener/' Since no 
one has made a bid in spades, it may be inferred 
that no one holds more than four of the suit, and 
if so, no great harm can be done by opening it. 

The worst that can happen," says our adviser, 

is that a possible trick-making card in your part- 
ner's hand may be sacrificed ; but this is the case 
every time you put him under the declarer in an 
untouched suit, as you are bound constantly to do : 
and, generally speaking, when No-trumps has been 
declared and the original leader has a well-protected 
hand, with no pronounced strength in any particular 
suit, he should [it is said], if he has received no indica- 
tion from his partner, lead a weak suit in preference 
to opening from a single honour or tenace/' 

The whole course of the argum^ent is illogical. 
The object of a " strenglkener is to hit on a suit 
in which your partner is stronger than the enemy. 
Here it is admitted that he is most probably not 
strong. To sacrifice a trick in your partner's hand 
is considered quite natural and unavoidable, but 
to sacrifice a possible trick-winner from your own 
hand is held to be a most regrettable incident. And 
actually because you have received no indication of 



124 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



strength from your partner, you are deemed to be 
justified in breaking down such moderate defences as 
he may possess ! 

Let us see how it turns out in actual play. 

ij^he card underlined wins the trick. The card 
immediately beneath is led to the next trick.) 



Trick 


A 


Y 


B 


Z 


I. 


4 10 


❖ 6 


♦ 4 


^ 2 


2. 


^3 


4^ A 


❖ 9 


^5 


3- 


04 


02 


07 


OA 


4- 


10 


K 


OJ 


03 


5- 




05 




09 


6. 


96 




^ J 




7- 


4»6 


8 


^4 


6 


8. 




^5 


<7 8 


^9 


9- 


9 A 


<7 10 


* 4 


^3 


10. 


11 


*5 




4 7 


II. 


*7 


*9 




*Q 


12. 


*8 


-i* 8 


10 


*A 


13- 






4 K 


^3 



YZ. win the odd trick and their contract. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 125 



Comments 

Everythirxg lies as was hoped for : the king of 
hearts is with Z., no one has more than four spades, 
and partner has king, 10, 9 of that suit behind the 
ace, queen in Dummy. 

Trick 6. — But, as usually happens, A. is eventually 
compelled to lead away from his hearts, which he 
had better have done in the first instance. It never 
seems to be realized by short-suiters who are always 

waiting to be led to that every time they win a 
trick they have to lead themselves. (So long as it is 
merely a question of sacrificing their partner, they 
don't mind : their contention being that that is 
only what they are "bound constantly to do.'') 

Trick 8. — Now the dealer puts the lead once miore 
into A.'s hand, so as to make him lead up in clubs. 

Trick 13. — And although A. makes his king of 
clubs after all, it is not of much service to him. 

Play the sam^e hand over again, opening in the 
orthodox way : — 



126 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



Trick 


A 


Y 


B 


Z 


I. 


^ 6 


^ 2 


^ J 


^ K 


2. 


O4 


K 


07 


O3 


3. 


10 


2 


J 


A 


4. 


0_Q 


05 




6 


5. 


^ A 


^5 


<^ 8 


^3 


6. 




^ 10 


+ 2 


9 9 


7. 




8 


4» 4 


❖ 2 


8. 


^ 10 


^6 


^ 9 


^5 


9- 


^ 3 


» A 


^ J 




10. 


4>K 


9 


* J 


*Q 


II. 


* 6 


* 5 


«?• 10 


* A 


12. 


^ 7 


« 8 




ll 


13- 


«^ 8 




4* K 


^3 



YZ. lose the odd trick, and AB. defeat the contract. 

There is nothing tricky or exceptional in this 
deal. The principle it illustrates is simph' that it is 
both easier and more advantageous to avoid opening 
your short suits than j'our long ones. Wlien there 
are no solid sequences, it is impossible in either case 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 127 



to avoid giving a trick or two to the opponent ; but 
then he will generally have to give them back again 
in another suit. The object to be aimed at is to give 
the tricks in long suits and receive them hack in short 
ones. The practice of the " short-suit school is 
just the reverse. And this really sums up and dis- 
poses of the whole controversy. 

I am not, however, hide-bound by prejudice ; and 
I concede that there are certain kinds of hands where 
to open the long suit is so obviously futile that the 
leader's object should be to avoid deceiving his partner 
by holding out promises that can never be realized. 
In such cases, the only hope is to hit on a workable 
suit in the hand of the latter, and thus a supporting 
card may sometimes be permissible. 

From the following hand : 

^ K, 5, 4 ; * J, 10, 3 ; 8, 7, 6, 3 ; ♦ 6, 5, 4 ; 

the best blind " lead is probably the knave of clubs. 
If partner can read the lead as being from weakness 
(which is not, however, always possible), he will un- 
derstand that the leader has no long suit of which 
he has any hope. To convey this information at the 
earliest moment may undoubtedly be of value. 

It must be borne in mind that partner can never 
hold any suit of considerable strength against an 
initial bid of One No-trumps, or he would have bid 
Two in it, not necessarily as expecting to make eight 
tricks, but in order to get you to lead him the suit if 
the No-trumper be again bid. He will always do 

I 

i 



128 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



this, if he believes the opening lead of his suit to be 
needful in order to save the game. 

The Original Lead when Partner has Doubled 
a no-trumper 

A call of One No-trumps, like the call of One in a 
suit, is never likely to be doubled, but a call of Two 
or miore m^ay be ; and it is important to have a clear 
understanding of what is expected of the eldest hand 
in such a case, the doubler being on the declarer's 
right. 

1. If the doubler has called a suit in the bidding, 
that suit should be led to him. If he has called two 
suits, lead the one that he caUed first. 

2. If the leader has caUed a suit, and the doubler 
has not, the leader must open his own suit. 

3. If neither partner has called a suit, there are 
two different understandings, som.ewhat analogous 
to the old Heart " and Short-suit conventions 
at ordinary Bridge. 

[a) In some circles, it is a convention that the 
leader shall open with his highest Club. The greater 
probability of clubs being the doubler 's suit is 
taken as the basis of the rule. The idea is 
that it is seldom good bidding to call a minor suit 
against No-trumps, and of the two minor suits, clubs 
are shut out the miore frequentty. 

(&) In circles vrhere this convention (kno^^Tl as the 
Club Convention) is not adopted, the leader should 
open, as usual, from his own best suit. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



129 



THE SUIT ORIGINALLY LED : WHICH 
CARD TO CHOOSE ' 

I. — When there are Trumps 

More than a hundred and forty years after Whist 
was first S3'stematized b}^ Hoyle, a new system of 
number-showing leads (since known as American 
Leads was proposed and elaborated by " Caven- 
dish and Mr. N. B. Trist, of New Orleans. In 
England it was never universally adopted by the best 
pla37ers and was not incorporated into Cavendish's 
treatise until the last decade of the nineteenth cen- 
tury, just a few years before the game began to be 
abandoned in favour of Bridge. In America, where 
Whist was m.ore laboriously handled than in this 
country was thought consistent with the genius of the 
game, the system found more general acceptance, but 
even there the pendulum soon swTing backwards and a 
reversion set in amiong all the shrewdest and m.ost 
flexible players towards the simplicity and directness 
of older mxCthods. Both in England and America it 
was conceded that this artificial informatory " 
system could only be considered advantageous so 
long as the side practising it could legitimately hope 
for a preponderance of strength, and that whenever 
the course of play showed trump strength to be 
adverse, it was suicidal to give facilities for counting 
the hands of the leader and his partner. 

To Auction Bridge where, on a suit declaration, 
considerable trump strength is ordinarily m.arked 

I 



I 



130 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 

against the leader before a card has been played and 
where, in addition, the declaration and the disclosure 
of Dummy's cards make it impossible to limit the 
amount of injurious information that may be im- 
parted, the American number-showing system is 
inapplicable. 

Prior to the introduction of the American sj'Stem 
Whist players had becom.e familiar with two other 
conventional leads which, though primarily intended 
to prevent blocking of the leader's suit, did inciden- 
talty declare number. From K, Q, J, five or m.ore in 
suit, it was customary to lead not the king, but the 
knave, so that if third hand held the ace and only one 
sm.all card he might play his ace on the first round 
which he would not be likely to do on a king lead. 
At Auction Bridge the precaution is useless. The 
bringing in of an established suit by the declarer's 
adversaries does not come within the range of practi- 
cal politics. The occasional small advantage of getting 
three rounds of the suit before another has been opened 
is not sufficient to justify the adoption of a special 
convention, especially when it is remembered that in 
many cases third hand wiU have an advantageous 
lead up to Dummy at the third trick. 

The second conventional lead referred to is that 
from A, Q, J, etc. Ace, then queen, used to be led 
from four in suit ; ace, then knave, fromi five or m.ore ; 
so that in the latter case partner might be instructed 
to play king on the second round if then accomipanied 
by one sm.all card only. To the conditions of 
Auction Bridge this convention is also inappropriate. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 131 



If the leader and third hand have eight of the suit 
between them it will be trumped by the declarer on 
third round. It may happen on very rare occasions 
that the trum.ps of the declarer can be partly forced 
and partly drawn, but it is a needless complication to 
legislate for an exceptional case which can be dealt 
with by common sense when it arises. 

At Bridge, therefore, let the ''number-showing 
leads be taboo. Such information as they convey will 
help the declarer more than any one else. 

Another well-established English Whist rule (not 
followed, however, on the Continent) was to lead the 
lowest of a middle sequence : from K, J, 10, 6 the 
10 was led ; so also in the latter days of fourth- 
bests the 8 was led from J, 10, 9, 8, x. At Auction 
Bridge, where the cards of second hand are exposed, 
it is better to open such sequences from the top. 
Not only is it thus made plain to third hand exactly 
to what extent Dummy's cards are hemmed in, but 
it is made more difficult for the dealer to decide when 
to cover the card led, as he is unable to tell how the 
higher cards are distributed between the hands of the 
opponents. In the practice of some players the put- 
ting of new wine into old bottles has led to a curious 
inconsistency. In Whist a small card used to be led 
from A, J, 10, 2. It soon became apparent that in aU 
forms of Bridge it was better to make sure of forcing 
out K or Q on first round by leading one of the 
sequence cards, and the card chosen was naturally 
the J. But the ancient Whist tradition so clung that 
they were unable to adopt the analogous lead from 



132 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



K, J, 10, 2, wherefore we still come across players 
w^ho are leading the lo. 

It was contended in the earlier days of Bridge that 
the distinction is useful on the ground that a J led 
won by the Q thus conveys to partner information 
of a certain re-entry card, the ace. There are re- 
joinders to be made to this. First, that the informa- 
tion is not definite, as the J might be the top of the 
suit. Secondly, that such information as is given 
will help the declarer more than third hand. Instead 
of introducing empirical distinctions of this kind our 
object should be to reduce the leads as much as 
possible to general laws. 

In the early days of Whist, Q was led from four or 
more to Q, J, g, and lo from four or more to lo, 9, 8, 
During the Cavendish-Clay period these leads were 
abandoned in favour of a small card, but the altered 
conditions of Bridge and Auction Bridge have rightly 
brought about their revival. In the former case if 
the queen is w^on adversely and j^ou regain the lead, 
it is generally better to wait for partner to lead the 
second round unless by leading J you can extract 
the 10 single from Dum.my. 

If you open from a suit of five or more headed by 
the ace (without the king) the ace must always be led. 
A similar suit of four, if opened at all, should be opened 
in the same way. But the ace may often be more 
useful as a card of re-entry later in the hand. To lead 
out aces early often loses tricks by establishing high 
cards for the declarer. Avoid opening originally from 
§uch a suit as much as possible. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 133 



If you open originally from a suit of three or two 
cards (not comprising A, K, or Q) lead from the top 
downwards. It has been previous^ remarked that 
to open from J, x, x or from Q, x is particularly to be 
deprecated {see pp. 111-3). No good player ever opens 
originally from K, x, x or Q, x, x. From A, x, x 
some players lead the A, others the lowest. Opening 
from A, K only, follow the general rule for short suits 
by leading the ace first. When the K follows your 
partner will be certain that you can ruff the next 
round. 

Summary of the card to be led originally 



When there are Trumps 

Ace from five or more, not including the king, and 
from A, K only. Leads from tenaces are inadvisable, 
but may be forced upon you. Avoid especially suits 
headed by A, Q, J ; A, J ; or A, 10. 

King from aU combinations which include A or 
Q or both, irrespective of number in suit (except to 
show two only, as specified above). 

Queen from Q, J, 10, etc., or Q, J, 9, etc., also as 
the top of a short suit {e.g., Q, J, 4). 

Knave from J, 10, 9, etc., as the top of an inter- 
mediate sequence (A, J, 10 ; K, J, 10 ;) or as the top 
of a short suit {e.g. J, 10, 6; J, 10). 

Ten from a head sequence of 10, 9, 8, any number 
in suit. Also as the top of a short suit {e.g. 10, 9, 2 ; 
10, 5, 4; 10, 7). 



134 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



The Nine, as the lovrest of a four suit, can cmly 
be led from A, Q, lo, 9 ; and as this is a bad combina- 
tion to open from, it follows that the original lead of 
a 9, on a truynp declaration, is almost invariably the 
top of a short suit. From A, J, 10, 9 (if you are 
driven to start from such a suit), either A or J would 
be led ; and from the eight other possible combina- 
tions in which a 9 is the lowest of four cards, the card 
to be led falls under one of the preceding heads, as 
will be plainly seen from the following list , in which the 
card to lead is marked in each case with a dot : 

A, 0, J, 9 ; A, Q, 9 ; A, K, J, 9 ; A, K, 10, 9 ; 
K, Q, X 9; K, 0,10, 9; Q.J, 10, 9; K,J,io, 9. 

In other cases, when leading from fouj- or miore, 
lead the lowest. It is undesirable to practise the lead 
of a fourth-best, or of a lowest-but-one, as such cards 
simulate leads from short suits, and are distinctly 
misleading to your partner. 

LEADING TO PARTNER'S DECLARED SUIT 

In every case, lead the highest card, irrespective 
of combination or of number. Yoiu: partner does not 
want to know how many of the suit you hold ; he is 
only anxious to see, at the earliest moment, the best 
card you have got in it. This rule, of coiuse, pre- 
supposes that 3'our partner is a sound suit-declarer, 
according to the principles that have been formulated 
in the present work. 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



135 



THE SUIT ORIGINALLY LED : WHICH 
CARD TO CHOOSE 

II. — When there are no Trumps 

The differences in choice of card in this case result 
from the fact that high cards cannot be trumped. 
There is always a bare possibility that, with over- 
whelming strength against you in other suits, high 
cards may eventually be wasted if not led out at once, 
but to start by mapping out your plan of campaign 
with the panic-stricken idea of saving a slam is only 
meeting disaster half way. Your aim being to estab- 
lish a suit, it is better to keep back high cards on the 
first round, unless yon hold certain three-card 
sequence combinations such as A, K, Q ; A, Q, J ; 
K, Q, J ; A, J, 10 ; K, J, 10 ; K, Q, 10 ; Q, J, 10 ; 
Q> J> 9 '> ]' 9 > 9> when the card led is just 
the same as if there were trumps. 

With A, K and other cards not higher than the lo, 
K should not be led unless from seven or more in suit, 
w^hen there is a fair chance of being able to drop all 
the adverse cards in two rounds. The same rule 
applies to K, Q and other cards not higher than the 9. 
The treatment of A, K, J, etc., depends partly on the 
rest of the hand. With only four cards it is advisable 
to hold the lead until you can see Dummy's cards, 
when you miay decide not to part with the tenace, 
but to try another suit. To save the game on a four- 
card suit the best chance is to husband its resources 
as carefully as possible. With five or six cards the 



136 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



chances of establishment by lead of king are good 
enough if you have a re-entry in another stcit, and you 
will then continue with ace on second round unless 
you see good reason to play otherwise : which will be 
but seldom. With seven in suit king and ace are 
naturally led as when the J is not present. With 
five or six in suit and no re-entry, do not start with 
the head sequence ; if you have five it is d priori five to 
one that your partner has two cards, but only six 
to five that he has three. When he has only two you 
must not begin by taking one from him under a 
winning card of your own. 

Holding A, Q, J, etc., some players lead ace if they 
have re-entry, but here a uniform rule is preferable. 
Follow the general rule for an intermediate sequence 
by leading the queen unless you have seven in suit 
with re-entry, when you may start with the ace. 
With eight in suit and re-entry you may lead ace 
when the other cards are small ; otherwise, it is 
imperative to retain the ace in the hope that partner 
may be able to put you in. 

From K, Q, lo, king should be led, any number in 
suit ; you thus prevent the knave making single or 
singly guarded and you retain tenace if knave and 
two small — or A, J, and one small — should be on 
your right. If the dealer has both ace and knave he 
will frequently hold up the ace on the first round. 
It is so difficult and so important to defend yourself 
against this device (known as the Bath Coup,'' pro- 
bably from the name of the town where it first came 
into notice at Whist) that third hand holding the ace 



ROYAL RUCTION BRIDGE 137 



should play it on the king; and holding the knave 
should generally play it underneath. This being the 
understanding : if neither card falls on the first 
round, the leader discontinues the suit and waits 
for partner to lead it the second time. The following 
is one of many instances that have com.e under my 
notice where this precaution would have materially 
changed the current of affairs : — 



The Bath Coup. Neglecting to Change Suit 



V A, Q, 9, 8. 
4> 9> 5, 4. 
X 5, 3. 
♦ K, Q, 8. 



9 K, 10. 
^ 3, 2. 

K, Q, 10, 9, 8. 
♦ 7. 5, 3. 2. 




^ 7. 4. 3, 2. 
* A, J, 7, 6. 
OA. 

4 A, J, 10, 6. 



^ J, 6, 5. 

* K, Q, 10, 8. 
7. 6, 4. 2. 

♦ 9. 4- 

Score : love all. Z. caUs One No-trump. All 
pass. 



138 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



The Play 



Trick 


A 


Y i B 


z 


I. 


^ K 


4= 2 


4» 4 


•1= 6 


2. 


<^8 


*3 


^5 


±J 


3- 


2 


8 


03 


OA 


4- 


❖ 4 


42 


4 8 


<^ A 


5- 


^ 9 


♦ 3 


4Q 


^ J 


6. 


^ 10 


09 


^ 9 


4» A 


7- 


04 


^5 


4 K 


^ 10 


8. 


6 


±2 


J 


^ 2 



Tricks 9-13. — Y. makes his two diamonds and the 
spade. B. makes ace and queen of hearts. 
Result : YZ. win two by cards. 



Comments 

Trick 2. — A.'s continuance of the club suit is singu- 
larly unfortunate. Had he been able to infer (from 
B.'s not playing ace or knave) that both were in the 
declarer's hand, he would here have led ^ J. AB. 
would certainly have defeated the contract ; and 
unless YZ. play carefully, are likely to win eight 
tricks — four hearts, two clubs, and tw^o spades (or 
four hearts, three clubs, and one spade,) as may be 
seen by playing out the hand that wa}'. 

Trick 6. — B. has nothing better. He dare not open 
hearts and let Y. in to make the diamonds. . 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 139 



Trick 7. — Z. plays to leave Dummy with the win- 
ning spade on the fourth round. 

Summary of the card to be led originally : 

When there are no Trumps 
Ace from A, Q, seven in suit, or from. A and small 
cards eight in suit, but only if holding a re-entry. 

King from A, K, Q, etc. ; from A, K, J, etc., four in 
suit ; from A, K, J, etc., five or six in suit, only if 
holding a re-entry ; from A, K, etc., or K, Q, etc., 
seven or more in suit ; from K, Q, J, etc. ; from K, Q, 
10, etc. 

Queen from A, Q, J, etc. (unless seven or more in 
suit with re-entry) ; from Q, J, 10 or Q, J, 9. 

Knave as when there are trumps ; also from A, K,. 
J, 10, five or six in suit without re-entry. 

Ten as when there are trumps. 

The Lead of the Fourth-Best 
In No-trumps, when leading from all combinations 
other than are specified above, it has become the 
universal practice to lead the fourth from the top, 
commonly spoken of as the fourth best card. I 
have already expressed the opinion that it is disad- 
vantageous to give precise information as to number 
in leading from high-card combinations, and it is 
rather an open question whether it is not likewise 
undesirable to do a similar thing in leading a low card. 
But the difference is that, in a high-card combination, 
you do in reality give the m.ost essential item of infor- 
mation by opening with the high card itself ; yoa 



140 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



define the nature of the strength which heads your 
suit. When your long suit is not strong enough 
to open high it becomes of increased value to your 
partner to be put into possession of the exact length 
thereof. 

Examples of the Lead of the Fourth-Best 
[The card to he led is dotted) 

K, 10, 8, 7, 3. 
A, J, 9, 8, 6, 2. 
K, Q, 6,5,4. 

The fourth-best lead often gives equally useful 
information concerning what the leader cannot hold 
as concerning what he does hold. The lead of a deuce 
proclaims four cards exactly, and no high card com- 
bination stronger than A, K, lo. The lead of a 4 
conveys the same message if the 3 and 2 are seen in 
Dummy or elsewhere, and so on. 

The disadvantage that may result from the infor- 
mation, equally precise, which the same rule supplies 
to the declarer is strikingly shown in Illustrative 
Hand No. XXIV, where the lead of the 2 of spades 
enables the declarer to count every card in the hands 
of both his opponents at the second trick of the deal. 
He is thus in a position to plan with complete confi- 
dence for a Grand Slam. The whole of this chain of 
reasoning rests on the fourth-best convention. 

We can thus see how, when this convention is 
adopted, the lead of even a very small card may give 
far-reaching information. When a medium card is 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 141 



led it is often possible to count all the higher ones 
with facility. For instance : — 

Your partner leads the 7 of diamonds ; Dummy 
lays down 10, 6, 5, 3 ; you hold J, 8, 4. , There are 
onty four unseen cards higher than the 7 {viz., A, K, 
Q, 9), and three of them exactly must be in the 
leader's hand. Hence the declarer holds one of the 
high honours (for if your partner had had all three he 
would have led the king), and no other card higher 
than the 7. If Dummy does not play the 10 you play 
the 4, being sure that A or K or Q will be forced and 
the suit established. Had you carelessly put the J 
on the 7 Dummy must have made the 10 and a trick 
would have been lost. If partner has led from K, Q 
he knows, when his 7 forces the ace, that you hold the 
J and 8, and if he gets in before you he will under- 
play " by leading a small card. 

A simple arithmetical method, known as the 
" Eleven Rule," is in common use for quickly count- 
ing up kow many high cards are outstanding against 
the leader without staying to inquire exactly what 
those high cards may be. 

The Eleven Rule 

Deduct from eleven the number of pips on the card 
led, and the residue will he the number of cards higher 
than the one led which are not in the leader's own hand. 

Example : 

Partner leads the 8 of clubs ; Dummy puts down 
Q, 7, 6 ; you hold K, 10, 5. Eight from eleven leaves 
three. The three cards, higher than the 8, which are 



142 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



not in the leader's own hand, are all in sight. If 
Dummy does not put on the queen first round you 
need play nothing higher than the 8, for you know the 
declarer cannot beat it. 
Again : 

Partner leads the seven of diamonds ; Dummy 
plays in the king from K, 9 only ; you hold Q, J, 6. 
Seven from eleven leaves four, and the four are all in 
sight . You know the suit is established and you must 
not fail to play the J under the K. If partner gets in 
again and leads out the ace you once more get out of 
his way by throwing the queen. This method of play, 
by which you m_ake sure of not obstructing any of the 
leader's diam.onds, is termed ''unblocking/' 

Again : 

Partner leads the 6 of spades ; Dummy lays down 
the J, 7 only ; you hold Q, 9, 2. Dum^my plays in 
the J ; you cover with the Q, won by the declarer with 
the ace. Six from eleven leaves five, and you know 
immediately that the suit is established and that three 
or more tricks will be won in the suit as soon as either 
partner regains the lead. 

That the declarer also may be helped to a sure 
finesse is, of course, equally evident. Say that Y. 
(Dummy) holds K, Q, 5, 2 ; Z. has 10, 8 only ; A. 
leads the 7. Knowing that A. must have A, J, 9, Z. 
lets the trick come up to his own hand. Had a smaller 
card been led, Z. might easily play in the Q from 
Dummy and win one trick fewer. Yet here again the 
argument cannot be pressed too far. If Z. needs 
three tricks in the suit he will, even if the 2 or 3 be 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 143 



led, assume that A. holds the knave and will let the 
trick come up on speculation. 

There are positions where the declarer derives little 
or no advantage from the information afforded. Say 
the 7 is led as before, Dummy lays down Q, J, 6, 4 ; 
the declarer has A, 8, 3. The latter can win in his 
own hand with the 8, but bj^ so doing he does not make 
an extra trick. If the 2 be led and dummy puts up 
the knave, YZ. v/in three tricks just the same. 

Furthermxore, although the declarer can tell how 
many cards higher than the card led are held by third 
hand, it by no means follows that he can see which 
cards they are. As before, A. leads the 7 ; Y. 
(Dummy) has K, 9, 5 ; Z. has the 6 and 4. Y. plays 
the 9 won by the 10. B. then gives the lead in another 
suit to A., who continues the original suit with knave. 
Z. cannot tell whether A. has ace and B. queen, or 
vice versa ; he is therefore obliged to cover with the 
king. Should B. be found with ace and one small 
card the result is that the first six tricks of the hand 
are lost by YZ. straight away. Had the dealer 
known, he could have postponed his king and blocked 
the suit. 

On the whole, I conceive the advantage to be 
slightly in favour of the lead of fourth-best on a No- 
trump call. At all events, the great majority of good 
players have adopted it, and it is advisable that 
practice should be uniform. But most people exag- 
gerate the importance and value of the convention. 
Against opponents of equal calibre they would not 
derive nearly so mxuch benefit from it as they imagine. 



144 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



Leading to Partner's Declared Suit 
With not more than three of the suit, the highest 
must in all cases be led. Holding four or more, 
without a head sequence, the practice of the best 
English players seems to be to lead low, for the reason 
that it is important that partner should be able to 
count your holding as accurately as possible. In 
America, the rule of leading from the top is observed 
independently of number. 

There is one situation, however, in which it is never 
right to lead a high unsupported honour from more 
than two in suit. When the declarer (on your right) 
has overbid your partner's suit call with No-trumps, 
he has shown at least one stopper " in the suit [see 
p. 8i). By leading low from ace or king to three 
or more, you may be able to kill that stopper when 
the suit is returned by your partner, who may hold 
king or ace respectively. It is better for you to block 
your partner's suit than for the declarer to do so. 

THE ORDINARY CONVENTIONS 
{only applicable to the opponents of the declarer). 
I. In following suit, when you play one of two or 
more cards in sequence, play the lowest of the se- 
quence. As regards the winning of that particular 
trick, it does not matter which card you play. As 
regards information to partner, it matters a great 
deal. That he may be able to draw correct infer- 
ences, it is absolutely necessary that you foUow a 
strict rule. 

Example. — If your partner leads the 3 through 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 145 



Dummy, Dummy plays the 6, and you hold Q, J, 5 ; 
you play the J, not the Q. 

Similarly, if your partner leads the 3, Dummy plays 
the K, and you hold the 7, 6, 5 ; you play the 5, not 
the 6 or the 7. 

Similarly, with cards not in sequence, when dis- 
carding, or when following suit but making no effort 
to win the trick, you play the smallest card. If your 
partner leads J, Dummy plays the Q, and you hold 
6, 4, 2 ; you play the 2, not the 4 or the 6. 

2. There are certain cases when you depart from 
the preceding rule, with the special object of enabling 
your partner to count the number of cards that you 
hold in the suit. In such cases, you are said to 

signal,'' or to call/' Instead of your lowest 
card, you then play an unnecessarily high one. When 
you play or discard a lower one to a later trick, your 

signal " or call " is completed. 

The exact meaning of a signal" varies according 
to circumstances, as is explained belov/. 

3. When there are trumps : — 

To signal in a plain suit {i.e.y in a suit other than 
the trump suit) is to indicate two only of the suit, 
and a desire to ruff the third round. 

Example, — If spades are trumps, and your partner 
opens with the king of hearts, and follows with the 
ace of hearts ; and you hold the 7 and 3 only ; you 
play the 7 on the first round. When the 3 falls on 
the second round, your partner knows that you have 
no more hearts, and can trump the third round. 

When the higher of your two cards is an honour, 



146 ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 



it is better to play the lower on the first round, when 
making no effort to win the trick. The honour may 
be of use later on ; and if it has to be played under 
a higher honour, it will still convey its own natural 
information : that it is the lowest card which you 
then hold. Some players, however, signal when the 
higher of their two cards is the 10. 

4. When there are no trumps : — 

To signal in your partner's suit shows the holding 
of four or more. If you have four only, it may be 
necessary to unblock '' the suit by signalling with 
the two middle cards. 

Example. — Your partner opens, against a No- 
trumper, with the king of clubs. Dummy holds the 
8 and 6. You hold the 10, 9, 7, 5. You should play 
the 9 on the first round, and the 7 on the second. On 
the third round (unless there is special reason to the 
contrary) you will play the 10 ; and the 5 which you 
have retained will not obstruct or block '' the con- 
tinuous run of the suit. 

If ever you have to discard twice from a strong 
suit, at No-trumps, you may intimate strength in 
the suit by throwing unnecessarily high on the first 
occasion. 

5. Whether there are trumps or not, in discarding 
from a suit in which you have complete command, 
you can indicate the fact by discarding the best. 

6. Generally speaking, there is no hard-and-fast 
rule for your first discard. You should discard what 
is least likely to be of use. Your partner will in most 
cases credit you with weakness in the suit from which 



ROYAL AUCTION BRIDGE 147 



you first discard, unless the declarations or the course 
of play give indications to the contrary. 

GENERAL PLAY OF THE HAND 
This will be best taught by typical examples of 
actual play, exhibited under the same conditions as 
actually obtain at the Bridge-table. A collection has 
therefore been prepared of Forty-Five Illustrative 
Hands (some of which have already been referred 
to in the body of the present work), issued by the 
same publishers. 

By those who wish to pursue the subject this sup- 
plementary volume will be found an indispensable 
guide. 



Printed in EngTand 
by Butler & Tanner, Selwood Printing Works, Frome, Somerset, 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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